


Token

by glitzybutt



Category: Helix Waltz (Video Game)
Genre: BDSM, F/F, F/M, Humor, Misunderstandings, Nudity, Sexual Humor, Slapstick, Slow Burn, grammatical abomination isn't a pre-set tag, substance abuse mention
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2019-10-22 21:21:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 36,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17670329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitzybutt/pseuds/glitzybutt
Summary: An incident at the Sakan residence compromises Magda's identity as a maid, and nobody knows how to wear these goddamn handkerchiefs. - Barris/Magda; Mature humor/sexual innuendo





	1. 1

**Token** \- An incident at the Sakan residence compromises Magda’s identity as a maid, and nobody knows how to wear these goddamn handkerchiefs. Barris/Magda; Mature humor/sexual innuendo

**A/N:** I headcanon the entire Sakan family as a hot fucking mess.

\--

The typical life cycle of a fashion trend in Old Finsel extended from the time it took the first pretty heiress to throw money at a designer, to the time around the next weekend when they were trudging back to a carriage after a ball.

It was only a sustainable lifestyle for those who could dedicate the funds and energy to it, but as the years passed, war and economic tensions between the rich and poor had evolved the way style was tossed from one circle to another. As it became more important to appeal to the lower class as relatable, it became more dire for noble ladies to develop ways of receiving information about what was buzzing in the slums without actually going there themselves.

Eliza Ellenstein prided herself on her ingenuity, but because of the inhibiting amount of… bias…she had towards poor people, staying ahead of relevant trends was harder for her than it probably was for someone like Juven Sakan, cock deep in the lascivious dust caking those high-end whore houses. Goddess help him.

“Heaven FORBID, it CANNOT be THAT one,” she shrieked, holding up both hands to the gown the maid had brought out to show her. “If we can’t find anything decent to make them out of, then she shan’t go to the ball at all. The quality of the fabric is everything. A real gentleman will know the difference.”

“Mom?” Magda asked miserably from her bed, nose beat red and eyes watery. “What exactly…are you doing…”

“If we do this right, securing the future of the Ellenstein family.”

“Again?”

Lady Ellenstein paused to cast her daughter a glare, but continued rustling around in the large closet of gowns.

“I’ll assume your fever is messing with your head. You’ll thank me once we’re through.”

“Do you need me to go down and ask Diane to make something at her shop? I’ll be better by tomorrow probably…”

“I wish the trend were something as simple as sewing on a sleeve this time.”

Magda blinked and sniffed, ignoring her mother’s condescension. “Should I go to the spire then?”

“You will not be leaving this bed until you stop leaking on the silk duvet,” Eliza growled. “There’s no enchantment to this trend either.”

“Is there something I should study then, a particular conversational subject?”

“All of the things you’ve mentioned are supplementary I suppose, but unfortunately this trend will rely on the reputation you’ve already built for yourself.”

Lady Ellenstein sauntered out of the closet, a sly smile on her lips and a simple, white silk gown in her hands. The fabric was previously enchanted with a warm, angelic glow that pulsed in the dim light of the room.

“This will do. I know enough about sewing to be able to cut the hem, and you will spend whatever energy you have for the next couple days stitching it into a handkerchief.”

“A handkerchief?” Magda asked weakly. “Who am I to give it to?”

“Why, the gentleman you fancy most, of course,” Lady Ellenstein said, twirling in front of Magda’s vanity mirror. “Once upon a time, we had a similar trend circulating in the noble social circles. A lady would drop her handkerchief on the floor at a ball, and any gentleman who picked it up was more easily able to approach and start a conversation. Of course, it was a gamble taken on who would pick it up fastest if you were popular.”

“I am to give one handkerchief away?”

“Nonsense. We’ll make several out of the fabric. That way, if you are rejected by one gentleman, you can save face and give another.”

“Am I to marry whoever accepts my handkerchief?” Magda asked carefully, thinking of all the ways this could backfire and become humiliating.

“Perhaps~” Lady Ellenstein said, passing the gown to the maid and adjusting her glasses on her nose. “Trends like these are informal and meant to allude to the idea that you would be interested in having more interactions with a gentleman that may lead to marriage eventually, like tea. But the exchange should be as subtle as possible. Ideally he will find the handkerchief in his pocket after you’ve danced and parted.”

“It seems a way to almost embarrass those who don’t take part at all, pressuring them to make a decision about who they’d fancy as a future partner…” Magda said, reaching for a tissue.

Lady Ellenstein’s eyes glimmered. “You are correct, and I’ve no doubt there’s a noble connection. My bet would be on Duke Sakan growing tired of his daughter chasing off suitors, but perhaps the Bavlenka are also weary of Lord Lou being as…adrift…as she is.”

Magda thought of dear Barbara, desperately shooting at a wave of handkerchiefs thrown by gentlemen with her bow and arrows. Lord Lou would probably just burn all of hers.

“Do you have someone on your mind?”

Magda bit her lip and thought of all the strange men in her life, wondering if any of them were what one could consider husband material. Her head was beginning to hurt anyway.

“Not in particular, but if it’s to bring back the elegance the family once had, I won’t let you down, mom.”

Lady Ellenstein placed a gentle hand on her daughter’s forehead and smiled.

“I’ll have the maid bring up some fresh chicken broth and draw you a bath. Tomorrow, we begin the preparations.”

–

Eliza Ellenstein had plans, and then Magda had her own.

It was expensive to campaign for nobility, and whether her mom wanted to acknowledge it or not, sometimes donations from a sponsor just weren’t enough. The maid lodge had posted for anyone willing to do a dinner party at the Sakan estate, so Magda chugged some cough medicine and picked out a disguise for another evening undercover. 

She sat in a broom closet behind the kitchen the next evening, catching up on the sewing she hadn’t been able to do while she recovered during the day. Her pointer finger was pricked to shreds and her fever had returned, but she’d already made good money serving Barbara and some of her friend’s from the equestrian committee in the main dining room. 

She jumped when she heard someone knocking on the door and scrambled to put her cloak on.

“Your break is over, Malda. A group of gentlemen just arrived late in the library and they want a round of drinks. One in particular was asking about you.”

_ That’ll be Juven _ , she thought.

She sighed. It was difficult transitioning into this role as someone people assumed deserved less respect than she got as a daughter of the Ellenstein’s. While the intrigue of transforming into someone different made it fun, it was hard on the nights men got too handsy or nobody gave good tips. She delicately folded the handkerchief around the needle and tucked it into the gap between her breasts, then adjusted her hair to make sure the magic imbued in her outfit cloaked any sign of her real identity.

It was strange and exhilarating being able to be in a place like the Sakan mansion without her usual preparations. The Viscount still teased her like this, but it wasn’t as exhausting to bear when she knew he didn’t know who she really was.

Magda made her way down the hall and stepped into an expansive library, the smell of old books and forgotten history taking her breath away. There had only been one other time she had seen this room…

She recounted the first time she had ever met Barris Sakan, the Viscount’s uncle. He had given her a curt greeting at her first ball before disappearing into this room with an entire cheesecake and a bottle of whiskey. Since then, their relationship had at least evolved into respectful acknowledgement, but she often thought about that moment and found it difficult not to laugh.

Currently, her fever was making her feel like she was floating through the short corridors leading into the open space that eventually became Barris’ study. A crowd of men in expensive suits sat on lounge chairs or stood around speaking to each other. Viscount Sakan and a couple others were being helped by footmen to get their coats off.

“There’s my little pet,” he cooed, sweeping past several other nobles to take her hand and press an endearing kiss to it. “Gentlemen, I’d bet the family jewels this is the best maid in Finsel.” He twirled her playfully and showed her off like he’d crafted her himself. “Just look at that  _ style _ . Ever since they changed the policy to allow the maid’s to choose their uniforms, I have twice as much beautiful eye candy to absorb at a party.”

“You are too kind, Viscount Sakan,” she said cheerfully, sweeping into a curtsy that would’ve made her mother proud. She ignored all the stars erupting in front of her eyes.

“The lady doesn’t want your bloated words of praise, or I venture your family jewels, Juven,” Barris Sakan’s weary voice challenged from where he stood beside a tall window with a stack of papers in his hands. “You and your colleagues are late, so allow the rest of us to get you up to speed once you’ve given your food order.”

“Come now, uncle, just because you won’t indulge in even the barest fantasy of engaging a woman in a conversation not revolving entirely around property tax…”

“My wildest fantasy conceivable is having you, for once in your life, show up on time for something of importance,” Barris seethed, narrowing his eyes and crossing the room to lean on his desk. “I remain unsated.”

“But oh my~ what a release for you once I finally come through, eh?” the Viscount sang, ducking behind Magda when he saw Barris reach for a gold paper weight.

“See how he treats me, Malda…the man’s a brute,” Juven whined from behind her, hugging her close to his chest. “You’d never guess it was the same man who would frolic through flower fields with me in my childhood…”

“YOU WERE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO RUN AWAY, AND I HAD TO CHASE YOU, YOU BRAT. CONTEXT IS IMPOR-” Barris stopped mid yell and noticed the maid now had tears streaming down her face.

“Miss, are you alright?” he asked, eyes full of concern. “Sometimes the Viscount’s playful banter goes too far, I apologize…”

Magda was sure there was no ill intent in the Viscount’s hug, but he had pushed the sewing needle from her handkerchief through the fabric and into her breast. If she opened her mouth, a scream was going to come out.

“Oh no, dear Malda, please don’t cry, I’m only teasing,” Juven said gently, coming around to look her in the face. It was now turning purple.

“Goddess,” Barris muttered under his breath, watching her eyes roll back behind her eyelids and crossing the room to them. “Juven, catch her. She’s going to faint.”

“Wait, what?” the Viscount said nervously, looking between Barris and the girl crumpling in his arms. “Ah…Malda,” he called out weakly, trying to lower her to the ground.  “You feel very warm, can you hear me?”

“Somebody go call the doctor, and ask the kitchen for some cold water,” Barris told a couple of the other noblemen who were now standing up. He kneeled down over Magda and felt her forehead. “Let me take care of this and we’ll return to our business.”

“Hmph. Serves her right coming into a noble household and working with an illness,” one man said, crossing his arms and looking at some of the others. “Who knows what’s wrong with her. She could be contagious.”

Juven turned to the man with storms in his eyes, prepared to show him his place. He was thrust back by the sound of Barris’ low, threatening tone.

“ _ Leave, Sir _ .”

Juven had lived his whole life fearing the instances that voice was utilized, and the hair stood up on the back of his neck. There would be no other option for this man but to do as he had been told if he wanted to live.

The man sputtered in disbelief but he was largely ignored, Magda barely aware now that she was being lifted up into the air and carried away. Her chest hurt so badly. She attempted to move her hand to where the needle was stuck.

“Does your chest hurt?” her carrier asked, his words moving through the swamp that her brain had become. Everything sounded like she was underwater and couldn’t come back up for air.

“Y-Yes,” she sobbed.

“Clear out,” Barris ordered the other men in the room. “Send the doctor in when he arrives. Juven, hand me my letter opener.”

“I don’t like where this is going,” Juven said, sweat dripping off his forehead. He did as he was told, bringing Barris the letter opener as he laid Magda on one of the now empty leather sofas in front of his desk.

“She can’t breathe with this corset on,” Barris said, pointing it out to Juven. “We’ll have to cut it off so she can get more oxygen.”

“But it’s so cute though~” Juven lamented, Barris glaring up at him. “Alright, alright, but why don’t you just untie it-”

In one powerful stroke, Barris cut through the corset and the upper part of the dress. Juven stood in horrified (but impressed) shock over his uncle, who held Magda’s hand as she took a few deep breaths.

“Malda was your name, right?” he asked gently. “Can you breathe better now?”

Magda choked on her tears and moved to try to take the needle out of her skin. A large hand moved over hers to help, the insistent pain suddenly gone. She panicked, knowing if her clothes were completely taken off she would be discovered. Mom would never let her out of the house again.

“Is this…a handkerchief?” Barris asked, a puzzled look on his face. There was an embroidered letter near the corner with a blood stain.

“Aaaahhh~ so even maids like Malda are taking part in that,” Juven said with a sly smile. “Practicing embroidery while at work…this must be for someone special. Perhaps it was meant for me?”

“What are you prattling on about…” Barris said, then turned to see the maid had sat up and was trying to leave.

“I have to go,” she said weakly, managing to stand and take a few steps with her hands clutching the front of her robes. Barris stood up and took hold of her elbow to steady her.

“You’re in no condition to go anywhere,” he said firmly. “Once the doctor has checked you, I’ll personally see to it that you get home safely.”

Magda saw visions of her mother at the front gate of the estate, a candle in her hand and her mouth agape, watching Barris Sakan carry Magda’s unmarried butt inside while wearing a maid costume. Neither of them would ever live it down.

She stumbled into Barris, clinging to his chest and praying to the Goddess that she kept her guise. He smelled of orange and clove and it made her wish she didn’t have to move anymore.

“Look at me.”

Barris moved a hand to tip her face up to look at his. His eyes were so green, and he was concentrating so hard on her face…

His eyes widened and she saw recognition. She quickly pushed away and began to run.

Her fever made it hard to know where, or how long she had been running before she saw through her tears the familiar steps leading up to the huge front entrance. She heard yelling and footsteps behind her, but she pushed open the doors without waiting for the footmen and sprinted into the night.

Juven ran onto the porch, gazing beyond the gated entrance.

“Dammit,” he muttered, glaring over his shoulder at Barris who was coming up behind him. “I don’t know how far she’ll make it if she’s really sick and I don’t know what direction she went in. If you hadn’t held me back-”

“I’m going.” Barris took his overcoat and a hat from the footman and descended the stairs. His voice was low and he wouldn’t look Juven in the eye. “You stay here.”

“Tch. As if I’d sit around and-” He was caught off guard when Barris whirled around and took him by the collar, pulling him close to his face so he could see the burning in his eyes.

“This situation has become delicate.” He articulated every word harshly, making sure he had his nephew’s attention. “Your frivolity with your affection has already brought us to this. Now, you will saunter back into my office, apologize for the disruption to the assembly, and do what you do best to distract from my absence. I will handle this.”

Juven scanned the ground, then slowly took his uncle’s hand and moved it away.

“I’m counting on you, then.”

“I’ll be back after I’ve confirmed she made it home,” Barris said, checking the bit and stirrups on the horse that was brought out for him. Juven watched him mount and gallop towards the entrance.

“What the hell am I supposed to talk about with all these businessmen while you’re gone?”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

“Is that how you consult with legal clients?”

“You’re not paying me for counsel. Fuck off.”

–

Did Barris Sakan consider himself a decent person? Yes. Most of the time. Amiable, probably not. But being decent was different than being charming, and most days he didn’t have the energy for anything else after he’d spent himself on law. It tore him apart, though, to think of what might become of Barbara if the only legacy she had to grow into was her father’s absence, and her brother’s self indulgent books about every woman he’d ever tiddled with.

So he clopped loudly through the lamp lit streets of Finsel, knowing that even if nobody else was going to understand or appreciate the things he did for this family, he could die someday with a clean conscience. And that was, frankly, more than Langwon could say.  

There was a fog beginning to form, which was a welcome cover with the amount of noise he was making at such an odd hour. He was nervous enough.

His horse sidled as best it could up to the gates of the Ellenstein estate. It was modest compared to his own, but not without its dignity. Eliza Ellenstein was a proud, impressive woman who didn’t seem the type to spare the polish. At the moment, every light to be seen from the windows was off, and if anyone had come through the gate recently, they had locked it back up and retreated inside.

“Was I seeing things?” Barris muttered to himself, bringing a gloved hand to his chin.

In the first place, it didn’t make sense for any young noble or hopeful to be tampering with a scandal as easily unraveled as joining the working class. Especially a young lady of age. Rumors might spiral quickly into something unsavory, making her less appealing to potential suitors of higher status.

He glanced at the ground, lost in thought, and something caught his eye. Near the middle of the gate, a used bandage sat on the sidewalk. It had retained its rounded shape, indicating it had been on someone’s finger. And, using a twig to inspect it closer, Barris saw that the color of the blood stain on it was too bright to have been more than a couple hours old.

_ Don’t jump to conclusions _ , he warned himself. He sighed deeply and stared into the empty windows of the Ellenstein mansion, remembering the bandaged hand he had held before…

He took the stained, nearly finished handkerchief from his coat pocket, admiring the quality of the fabric and the subtlety of the enchantment. A white silk stitch in the corner outlined a cursive ‘M’. He ignored the heat suddenly engulfing his ears, and shoved the piece back in his pocket.

“Let’s head home,” he said softly, patting the horse’s muzzle before mounting and retracing the foggy path towards another long evening of contemplating the things his energy went into.

–

“I know you say you feel fine, but you look positively ghastly,” Lady Ellenstein said bluntly, brushing out Magda’s wet tresses in front of the vanity. The hair and makeup stylists would be arriving shortly, but as Magda stared at her hollow face in the mirror, she knew her mother was right. All the powder in the world wasn’t going to hide the sleep she’d lost over her encounter with the Sakan’s two nights before.

It would have been a relief at this point if she’d had a surprise visitor or been invited to tea by one of them. This eerie silence was beginning to give her hope that she had imagined Mr. Barris’ suspicion, and the last thing she wanted to do was be caught off guard by one of the Four Families. She had sat in front of her mirror upon stumbling back into the house that night, staring into her own disenchanted eyes, wondering if he cared enough to be able to recollect where he might have seen them before.

“You’re blushing. Are you thinking about the handkerchief exchange?” her mother asked teasingly. “I shan’t ask who you’ll be giving yours to. I might like to be pleasantly surprised by who walks through our door in the coming days…”

Magda pressed her lips together and gave a tight smile. “Ah…yes. I suppose I’ve been nervous about it for a while…”

She was more worried about the fact that Barris Sakan currently had her handkerchief – with her initial and blood on it – in his possession. The man with more legal expertise than anyone else in Finsel had physical proof she had been there that night. He’d torn a whale bone corset in half like it was little more than a piece of paper and just…reached down there and took it…

Mom exclaimed and stumbled backwards, hot steam rising off in a spontaneous cloud from Magda’s head. Her intensely flushed face locked onto one spot on her vanity desk, desperately trying not to think about the details.

“Well, that is…interesting,” Lady Ellenstein mused to herself, staring at her daughter’s head. “It even dried your hair…”

She yelled for the maid to show the stylists in and Magda prayed for the Goddess to give her strength.

–

Magda had no sooner stepped down from her own carriage before she was swept aside by Barbara, whose plights always seemed far worse by comparison.

“Magda, I know you weren’t feeling well this week, but I’m begging you,” she said tearfully, holding her friend’s hands, “I need you to reject that entire group over there for me.”

Magda looked past her, sighing with distress.

“The whole  _ group _ ?”

“You weren’t at several of the last balls, so the numbers have compounded,” Barbara said miserably. “I just want to dance tonight. We’ll drink a lot and ignore the men.”

Magda nodded slowly and trudged over to the group.

“Gentlemen,” she said politely, giving a little curtsy. “I know many of you were looking forward to dancing with Miss Barbara this evening, but she’s sent me to reassure you that, although she cherishes your admiration as friends, she still is not interested in selecting a husband at this time.”

“Then perhaps Lady Ellenstein would accompany me to the ball instead?” a man yelled from the back, hand shooting up excitedly. Several more joined his call, pushing to put themselves in front of her.

_ Persistent, aren’t they _ , Magda thought wearily.

“Ah, that’s-” She began reciting her usual polite excuse to go inside alone when she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. She turned to look behind her, the entirety of Barris Sakan attached to the hand. His eyes locked with hers for what was probably an impolite amount of time, but she was frozen where she stood.

“Uncle Sakaaaaannnn,” Barbara yelled, coming up and beating on the arm that held Magda. “Get your hands off my date.”

Barris raised an eyebrow. “She didn’t tell you? I asked Lady Ellenstein several days ago if I might have the pleasure of accompanying her this evening and she agreed.”

Magda’s mouth fell agape.

Barbara gasped, shaking Magda like a rag doll. “You didn’t TELL me??? And what’s more, you’re not even wearing your handkerchief right…” She reached down without shame into Magda’s clutch and pulled out a finished white handkerchief, clearly disappointed with it.

“What the hell is this? It’s so… _ boring _ . No colors, no gems, not even an applique?”

Magda blushed and snatched it from her, Barbara snatching it back and beginning to shove it into her friend’s bust, earning a unanimous gasp from their gaggle of suitors. Barris cleared his throat awkwardly.

“You want it in there enough that they can see it, but not so far that it can’t be pulled out,” Barbara said with a huge grin. “Of course, I challenge anyone who gets too close to an archery match, and then they can never bother me again.” She laughed maniacally.

_ So much for mom’s theory about this increasing Barbara’s chances of finding a husband _ , Magda thought.  _ If anything this has just become some sort of rabbit trap to her… _

“That’s not even how you do it,” a snide voice said from behind them. Magda and Barbara turned to see Lynna, lime green as ever, standing with her hands on her hips and Lawrence at her side. A sea green silk handkerchief peeked out from her bust, dripping with pearls and elaborate gold embroidery. “You’re supposed to give it to someone you fancy, not stick your tits out like some common whore and hope someone indulges you.”

Barbara blushed and stomped her foot. “Who cares?! If I do or don’t fancy anyone, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re terrible, Lynna!”

Lawrence raised an arm dramatically from behind him, producing a huge scroll. With his other hand, he tipped his glasses so the light on the lenses was distorted.

“I have here a list of all the reasons you’re wrong and I’d like to now go through every single one.”

Barris held up a curt hand and pulled Magda to him. “We’ll pass. See all of you inside.”

They turned and left, several moments passing before Magda heard Lynna sputter, “WAIT…WAIT IS SHE HERE WITH HIM? NOUVEAU RICHE IS HERE WITH BARRIS SAKAN?!?! HEY WAIT, COME BACK HERE, I CHALLENGE YOU-”

Magda attempted to gather her dignity as she was practically dragged inside by her “date”, struggling to get her arm looped in his so it would at least look natural.

“Ah, um, Mr. Barris,” she stammered weakly, “I, uh, I don’t want to sound impudent, but I seem to have forgotten…when exactly…you extended an invitation for me-”

Without even hesitating to allow the footmen to announce their arrival, Barris pulled Magda into the bustling entryway of the Bavlenka mansion. His silence was unnerving, and Magda’s heart pounded with the things she imagined he could threaten her with if he decided he wanted to.

She hadn’t realized her eyes were shut tight until they came to a stop, both of them standing in the middle of the dance floor. Barris looked down at her with some unreadable expression, bending one arm to his chest and taking her other hand in his.

“Dance with me, Lady Ellenstein.”

She could hardly say no at this point, and her fear wasn’t completely gone, but there was something so clear and kind in his voice when he spoke…it made her want to trust him…

Two violins hissed intensely, giving the air a tension akin to an approaching storm. Barris squeezed Magda’s waist, guiding them both through a sea of faceless bodies.

–

“Oh my~” Kelly purred from a corner outside the dance floor, staring through a pair of opera glasses. “My dear Linglan, I bet you’d be tickled by this…”

Linglan rolled her eyes and shoved another bite of kidney pie in her mouth. “I doubt it. A Bavlenka ball is so frightfully dreary.”

“All the more reason to seek out your own entertainment,” Kelly mused, passing the glasses. “Our Magda kitten came with a date this time.”

Linglan squinted through the glasses, then her eyes nearly popped out of her skull. “HIM?!”

Several guests turned to regard her with scrutiny, so she collected herself.

“Why?!” She whispered harshly to Kelly. “Barris scarcely attends balls in the first place, so I can hardly believe he would waste his time on someone who isn’t even a noble yet…”

“Maybe there’s blackmail involved~” Kelly gushed. Linglan gave her a weird look, then put her hand on her own cheek to contemplate.

“You think she has something on him?”

“Oh, my dear, no,” Kelly giggled. “Magda is very disarming in her own way, but to extract a Sakan scandal is a bit out of her league. My guess is there’s a secret she’d like to keep herself…”

–

It was difficult to concentrate while they spun, but Magda swore as they passed other couples that they were staring. She felt a bit light headed, but noticed they weren’t actually on pace with the music. Like the eye in a hurricane of colors, feathers, and jewels, her dance with Barris was much calmer.

The piano swelled, and she was brought back in close to her partner. Barris brought her body to a gentle stop, her skirt rushing around her like a tide coming to shore. It had been difficult to look at him while they danced, largely because of her shame. Now that they were still, she felt bold enough to try to save some face.

“M-Mr. Barris,” she started, hoping the music had toned down the cracking in her voice, “I…I need to speak with you about something…”

She felt the hand at her waist slide up to support her back and neck, and then the glare of the crystal chandeliers on the ceiling were a vignette for his face. He looked down at her with steady eyes and unruly hair, a testament to how long they had been dancing. Had it been long? It felt like mere moments…

“Lady Ellenstein…”

The light shone in a ghostly corona about his head as he leaned down to her level, stopping at such a range that she could feel his breath on her lips.

“It has been a pleasure dancing with you.”

There was a pause, and then the hand that still held hers shifted. Magda held her breath as she fell into a paralyzed state, the world falling away and retreating around her so all that was left was the warmth in her face. There was a tickle between her breasts, and then he was holding her handkerchief in his grasp. He glanced at it, studying it, then glanced again at her.

Something clicked in her brain, and her eyes widened. They shared that same look of recognition they had in his study. Without breaking eye contact, he brought her up from the dip so that she could stand. She didn’t know how long she had been holding her breath, but she inhaled as deeply as she could now, watching him take her right hand in his.

With one last wordless look, he slowly removed her silver glove, and held her bare hand in his. They both stared at the bandage on her pointer finger. He then silently brought her hand up to kiss it. The action was so simple and gentle, but it felt like something done out of disappointment more than anything.

“Mr. Barris,” she said softly, near tears. She couldn’t explain why she felt so sad.

When he looked at her again, his eyes retained the same familiar genteel, but they were a shade darker. It sent a shiver down her spine.

“If you’ll excuse me, Lady Ellenstein…”

Magda saw him glance around briefly, suddenly realizing there were many prying eyes upon them. He sighed and nodded to her, then strode into and disappeared in a mass of flashy clothes and curious faces.

–

“ _ Goddess _ ,” Linglan gasped, Kelly trying to snatch the opera glasses from her. “How  _ lewd _ .”

“You didn’t even want to look through them in the first place!” Kelly hissed. “Now I’ve missed it.”

“Did you see that?!” a lady said as she and a group passed by, waving themselves with glittering fans.

“My dear, the whole of Finsel saw that,” another in her company said, giggling into a gloved hand. Kelly’s eye twitched and she gritted her teeth.

“You hear them?! I’m the only person here who doesn’t know what was happening because of you.”

“Ladies~” Juven Sakan cooed, shoving his head between them. “What’s keeping everyone so lively this evening?”

“BWAH,” Linglan screamed, flinging the opera glasses into a nearby punch bowl. Kelly stared at them incredulously, arm still outstretched as if they might fly back to her.

“My Lord,” Linglan said tightly, face squinched like a flushed raisin. “What a  _ delight _ . Enjoying your evening?”

“No,” Juven said frankly, sighing like his boredom had become a physical burden. “Bavlenka balls are typically more serious than most others. But things seemed a little more upbeat after the last song ended-”

“Viscount Sakan!” a crowd of women called, rushing in a mob to where the three of them were standing. “Viscount Sakan, is it true that Mr. Barris fancies Lady Ellenstein?! Are they to be married?!”

Kelly collected herself and whipped her head between the group and Linglan. “SERIOUSLY?! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED WHILE YOU WERE HOGGING MY GLASSES?!”

Juven Sakan stood stock still, his trademark charming grin moulded into his face a little too perfectly. Linglan cringed and coughed.

“Oh?~” he said calmly, eyes hidden under their lids. “I suppose I can’t say. Where, pray tell, did you hear this rumor?”

The women all glanced at each other with stars in their eyes. “We SAW my Lord,” they gushed, all blushing with the mere juiciness of being the first to inform him of something so spectacularly abnormal. “We saw them dancing, and then-”

“WHAT?!” Kelly shrieked. Linglan clapped a hand over her mouth and glared at her.

“…Ah~ it seems my uncle has also been charmed into partaking in some actual fun thanks to Lady Ellenstein,” Juven said, Linglan catching the pause he had taken before responding with a jovial tone.

After a polite bit of jest, the group of ladies waddled away to gossip with other groups. Juven looked after them with the same creepily sustained smile from before, and Linglan looked for an escape route.

“I…I didn’t even know that was what was supposed to happen with the handkerchiefs…” Kelly lamented, pulling her rose embroidered piece from her cleavage a bit more. “How utterly scandalous…yet dangerously romantic…”

Linglan bored holes into Kelly’s skull with her eyes, Juven still standing between them.

“Ladies, if you’ll excuse me~” the Viscount said with syrupy sweetness, bowing courteously and leaving with his golden hair swaying behind him.

“I have a bad feeling,” Linglan muttered, biting her thumb.

“Here, dip me and pull this out in a sultry manner,” Kelly said excitedly, pointing at her boobs and leaning into Linglan’s arms. “I want to be able to reenact what you saw when we go talk to other people…

\--

  
**A/N:**   _B_ _ecause I’m an old lady and haven’t written in 84 years, PLEASE tell me if there’s plot holes throughout this marvelous journey we’re taking together. Chapter 2 already started._


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eventually I'll address the actual plot. Eventually.

**A/N:** _I didn't let myself read any of the comments until this chapter was done so now I'm crying. This fandom is really awesome._

\--

“Ladies and gentlemen...”

Lou Bavlenka’s unmistakable voice echoed across the ballroom, attendees turning from their conversations in surprise as she padded down the mansion’s grand staircase. She waved her hands and the chandelier’s dimmed their flames, her extravagant black evening gown glittering against her voluptuous curves. Eligible bachelors and married men alike gawked, subject to the disapproval of their companions.

“We have invited you all here this evening to celebrate Finsel’s founding, an event where we should be able to reflect on everything that makes our country _strong_ …” she said, pausing at the platform where the two halves of the staircase met.

She waved her hands and a flaming, moving image of soldiers in the heat of battle came to life on the now empty dance floor. A round of delighted applause rang out from the audience

“... _powerful_ …” she continued, curling her hand and raising it above her head.

The image dispersed and recollected in the center to form the familiar silhouette of the spire, rising formidably from the floor.

“...and _victorious_!” she yelled, bringing the curled hand down with a powerful thrust across her torso.

The flames dispersed once more, shimmering and swirling to reveal the figure of the Saint, holding a shield bearing the crests of the Four Families. The shield was raised high into the air, and it exploded into a fireworks display of purple, green, pink, and gold. The crowd roared with approval.

“I've invited several of my own apprentices to entertain you all this evening as we transition from hors d'oeuvres to the main course,” Lou said smoothly, snapping her fingers.

Several hooded figures appeared in a ball of fire, performing gravity defying feats of acrobatics, martial arts, and magic.

\--

“Is she allowed to do that?” Balfey whispered to Hugh from the sidelines. Hugh stood rigidly, hand instinctively resting at his sword’s grip.

“She is the Mistress of the Spire, and the Bavlenka heiress. Though her students have renounced their own families, they probably have little say in whether they should or shouldn't indulge hers on a whim.”

Balfey shrugged. “They look like they’re having fun at least. And I bet Lord Lou is a great teacher…” He paused, shivering as he watched the intense performance. “...Maybe a little scary, but that’s probably just because it’s dark in here...”

The feast the servant’s were bringing out caught his eye and fear of anything (including ridicule) faded to the back of his mind. Hugh stared at him as he elbowed his way out of the crowd to be first in line, and sighed heavily.

\--

“Big sis Lou is the BEST,” Nyx exclaimed, wriggling around in her pink frilly ball gown and waving desperately in hopes that Lou would wave back. Magda stared at her.

 _Nyx really has no clue just how...macabre...her sister is…_ she thought to herself, watching Lou laugh with all the charm of a demon. She pulled out a string of handkerchiefs men had given her throughout the night and set it on fire. Several suitors started crying.

“Nyx,” Magda said above the sounds of the enthusiastic audience, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to find a restroom…”

“Oh! If you’re not feeling well, would you like me to accompany you?” Nyx asked, her big blue eyes full of genuine concern. Magda shook her head quickly and smiled.

“I appreciate it but I’m not drunk.”

“Oh? You’ve had this glazed, flushed expression for a while so I just assumed you were,” Nyx replied, shrugging. She went back to cheering for Lou and her students, allowing Magda to take her leave.

It was an endeavor squeezing past layers of guests with the smell of perfume, liquor, and roasted food clashing in her nose. Magda escaped the throng, crushing her cheeks with shaking hands as she walked swiftly down the corridor towards a restroom.

“Get a grip,” she muttered to herself, hands fixed to the sides of the marble sink. “If you’re not going to resolve the issue then get through this and go home.”

Saying it out loud made it seem easier, though she knew it couldn’t be that simple. There was a tiny voice buried under all the gauzy fabric and feathers on her head that knew she was going to have to seek out Barris and make things right. She looked in the mirror, thinking of all the people in Finsel’s social circle who treated her poorly, or just ignored her completely.

Maybe it was because it felt nice to have been able to speak with a man...like that. Someone who didn’t just talk about fixing things with philanthropy, but had made it his life’s work to make sure there was something else the poor could have besides the behest of the rich.

 _No…_ she thought, furrowing her brow and pursing her lips.

The idea of Mr. Barris becoming one of those people who just walked past her was...unacceptable.

She washed her hands, replaced her gloves, fixed her skirt, and marched out the door with her head held high-

Right into a lineup of men holding flowers out to her.

“Lady Ellenstein,” the first one said, “I’d like to inquire about your availability for the ball at the Olineaux estate next weekend-”

“-And _I_ came to inquire about that as well,” the one next to him chimed in, shoving his flower in front of his rival’s. “It’s been circulating...well, we’ve apparently _all_ heard you might be interested in looking for a husband?”

“Yes, and I was wondering if you might like to accompany me for a walk in the Bavlenka gardens this evening after dinner,” a third said from the back of the line, several men now frantically yelling out everything from how many houses their family owned, to their level of piety.

“ _Wait wait_ , gentlemen, _please_ ,” Magda said hastily, waving her hands in front of her. “I...I’m not sure where you heard I’m looking to get _married_ …”

“Frankly, dear Lady, while Mr. Barris has many... _unique_ qualities,” a gentlemen sniffed through his large mustache, “it’s apparent to many of us here that your less... _brash_ admirers might be able to offer you a lifestyle where you’re…” The man paused and shared a knowing glance with those beside him. “... _emotionally_ taken care of.”

Magda could hear her mother’s voice in her head begging her to pick her jaw up off the floor, but it wasn’t getting through. She squeaked quietly, “Mr. Barris?”

“The Sakan’s have their charm of course, but surely a lovely lady like yourself can see the value in...exploring your options? I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors...and there’s only so many realistic reasons a man like that remains aloof for so _long_.” Several men agreed with the man with the mustache. Magda wished the floor would open up and swallow her.

“Gentlemen...please pardon me…for a moment…” she said wistfully, pulling in her skirt with shaky hands and floating away. She could feel their eyes upon her as she shuffled down a dimly lit hall. There was a balcony near here where she knew she could at least access some fresh air.

The large glass doors leading out onto the balcony were open and a welcome breeze was flowing down the hallway. Magda wiped a bead of sweat from the back of her neck and walked a little faster, the empty, torch-lit floor looking good enough to lay on. She walked out into the cool night air and raised her face to the sky with relief.

“If you’re looking for an appropriate place to escape the perpetuity of your inferiority, we saw a trash receptacle on our way down here,” Lynna said loudly from the wrap-around railing, sipping her wine. Lawrence clapped his gloved hands together from his position beside her.

“Superb delivery, Miss Lynna. I know you were practicing that one all week.”

“Lynna,” Magda begged, noting how ragged her own breathing had become with just a walk down the corridor, “if you can do _one_ favor for me right now, I promise to never ask you for another thing my _entire_ life.”

“Tempting, but seeing as I don’t have any reassurance I’d never have to _look_ at you again, I’d say you get more out of that deal than I do.”

“Hear her out, Miss Lynna,” Lawrence suggested with fake sympathy. “If she needs a loan, you could probably make her your slave.”

“And while that thought fills me with _such_ joy, I can’t say watching you wallow in financial ruin wouldn't be just as, if not more enjoyable” Lynna said, putting a hand to her lips and sneering.

“I just need some water,” Magda said miserably, twisting her arm to point behind her. “And I need this corset loosened.”

“Isn’t that two favors? Didn’t your mother teach you basic arithmetic?” Lynna asked innocently. “You’re really overreaching, aren’t you? Lawrence, go retrieve some water, if you will.”

“Certainly, my Lady,” Lawrence said smoothly, dashing through the doors and down the hall. As soon as he was gone, Lynna sniffed, came down from the railing, and regarded Magda critically.

“Let me tell you something, _Nouveau Riche_ -”

\--

Magda blinked languidly, Lynna’s voice suddenly nothing more than a softly reverberating hum behind a glittering, curtain like force field. The air was fuzzy, like lightning might strike at any moment.

She turned her head around and saw a girl sitting on the railing, quietly regarding her like she had been there the whole time.

 _Wait...that girl…_ Magda thought, lurching towards her more than walking, now. “You...you look just like...me?” she murmured, feet stopping right in front of her poised doppelganger. She was invited to sit, which was a welcome relief.

“I’m Magda,” Other Magda said. “The you that you’d like to be.”

“You do look very refined,” Magda said softly.

Other Magda’s clothes were tasteful, elegant, and cohesive, like the entire outfit had been hand made just for her at the same time instead of when she had pocket change available to buy separate pieces.

Magda looked away in shame, sighed raggedly, and brought her hands up in a forlorn shrug. “I feel like I try my best and fall short on so many things...how can I become like _you_ ? Like...like the me I'm _supposed_ to be?”

“There’s not really any ‘supposed’ to it. You’re you, and I’m me. We’re the same, but maybe not in the same _way_ , if that makes sense. But...you shouldn’t get exasperated so easily,” Other Magda said matter-of-factly. “And you should eat more. No matter what mom says.”

“You're probably right,” Magda admitted. She thought for a moment, then asked “Hey...do you know Mr. Barris?”

Other Magda gave a small smile and blushed. “I do.”

“Do you know how to approach him? I’ve really messed up and I...I feel like it’s important that he…” Magda lost her words and looked at her hands. “I don’t want to be misunderstood.”

“People will always misunderstand you,” Other Magda said calmly, the distant sound of a child’s cry beyond the force field making her turn her head. “Focus on who chooses to see your intentions.”

Magda watched the force field bend, a glowing hand falling on Other Magda’s shoulder. A deeper voice accompanying the child’s cry held her attention. It sounded vaguely familiar, like something she’d heard in a dream, but her vision blurred and there was a pounding in her head; it was hard to focus.

“It sounds like Lynna is nearly finished,” Other Magda said, disappearing back into the glittering beyond. “Please try to take better care of yourself.”

\--

“...You can wear those ugly dresses your beggar friend’s in the sewers make you out of rat fur or whatever as many times as you like. You can get your freebies from your secret admirers, or sponsors, or _whoever_ else wastes their money on you, looking for something in return. But _I_ don’t need that, because _I_ will always have people falling at my feet without a _smidge_ of agenda- ah, here we are…” Lynna paused her monologue, Lawrence appearing from the hall with a glass of fruited water. She raised it high over her head so Magda might see from behind her.

“When you have what I have, you don’t even entertain desiring what people like YOU ha-”

“Miss Lynna, ah, it seems that...she’s gone,” Lawrence said, peeking behind her. Lynna whirled around, scanning the large balcony as the wind blew loose strands of hair in her face.

“ _Nouveau riiiiiche_ ,” she hissed, crushing the water glass in her grasp. She and Lawrence stared at her now bleeding hand, glass shards and soggy strawberries sliding to the floor.

“I...may need a doctor,” Lynna croaked tearfully, face pale. Lawrence led her back into the mansion, her steady wailing echoing across the courtyard below.

\--

While Balfey loved a good party, and more particularly the lovely ladies that came with them, he preferred eating alone. Talking was an activity best done before and after he’d indulged himself with a good meal, and it was annoying trying to focus on what everyone else was discussing while the priority grew cold on his plate.

The best place at a Bavlenka party to sit and enjoy food properly was the garden. The majority of guests were inside, busy trying to balance the courtesy of taking food with the propitious amount they could actually eat without being judged by everyone else in the room. Balfey found this exhausting; life was short, and one could always buy bigger pants.

He sat beneath the East balcony, cradling a glass of whiskey in one hand and a smoked turkey leg in the other. There was muffled speaking above him, but he hadn’t paid it mind until he recognized the voice closer to the railing as Lady Ellenstein’s. She sounded out of breath, and Balfey pulled himself away from his meal long enough to turn and confirm it was her staring out at the Maze of Roses. He chewed, wondering if he should invite her to join him. She was one of the few people he knew here who he felt might not mind some quiet time.  

She looked in his direction from above and he waved, puzzled by her expression. He ceased waving, eyes filling with panic as he watched her transition from sitting on the railing to actively falling off of it. In a split second he’d thrown his plate and glass, careening as fast as his stubby legs could carry him in the general direction of her body. He slid, providing an ample landing pad. She crashed on top of him and her body bounced off, both of them groaning in the grass.

“Lo...Lord...Balfey...” Magda struggled to say, black spots speckling her vision while she looked for her savior. “I seem...seem to have…”

Balfey crawled over to her, spitting grass out of his mouth. “Sister! Hey, sister! You fell off a _balcony_!” It was said more in a tone that should’ve been reserved for impressive feats performed for thrills instead of actual instances of peril.

Magda watched him crawl into view and look down at her as she stared into the starry sky. Grass was stuck to the ring of sauce around his mouth. Strangely, it was the closest he’d ever looked to having any relation to his father.

“Hey, sister,” he said more seriously, “you’re not hurt right?”

“I probably only subconsciously wanted to escape Lady Lynna,” she said feebly. “Thank you for your concern, Lord Balfey.” Balfey blinked at her then looked up at the balcony and squinted.

“Hey! Lynna! Anybody?! Hey!”

Magda cringed, Balfey’s yelling making her ears ring.

“I don’t hear anyone up there now,” he said after a few minutes. “I’ve gotta go get help for you.”

“No,” Magda grunted, rolling from her back to her side, the entire world rippling along with her. She felt ill.

Balfey stared at her, stuck his tongue out in thought, then his face lit up with a great idea.

“I bet you haven’t eaten much all day so you’d stay real skinny for the ball,” he mused, a keen hand under his chin. “My mom does the same thing every time we go to a big ball so she can ‘keep up with the young ladies’.” His plate sat shattered on the stone patio, two rolls lying tragically underneath a stone table. He picked them up and brought them over.

“That is...so.. _.thoughtful_ of you, Lord Balfey,” Magda said with flat incredulity, watching him place them in the grass directly in front of her face. He stuck his chest out and grinned.

“You eat those while I go look for Lady Nyx. You’re probably worried about all those puffy ladies seeing you with grass stains. She’ll get you a new dress, and I’ll get your carriage ready to take you home.”

Magda opened her mouth to protest, but realized that was probably the best idea they were going to come up with. She had already fallen off a balcony. Letting someone else brainstorm a semi-graceful escape plan might be the wisest decision.  

Balfey’s jog was the same pace as the average man’s walk, so after a while of watching, Magda had to just assume he’d survive the trek across the polished garden.

 _Somebody else could decide to come out at any moment_ , she thought to herself, closing her eyes and bracing her torso with her arms so she could sit up.

Her eyes scanned the shadowy landscape. There was a large, gorgeous fountain some yards ahead where the hedge maze began.

 _If I can just make it over there and splash water on my face, I’ll feel better_ , she told herself.

She eyed the dusty rolls still laying in the grass, glanced around, and shoved one in her mouth. Mom probably wouldn’t mind the ingestion of extra carbs if she knew what was at stake. And as Balfey predicted, she felt infinitely better as she attempted to stand.

Several lamps had been lit around the garden for romantic ambiance, but there were no lovers out while dinner was being served. If Magda looked as bad as she felt right now, it was probably for the best that no one unnecessary saw her for the rest of the evening. She glanced down, now noticing she was missing a single shoe. It was too dark and her throbbing head told her to forget it, so she kept hobbling toward the fountain.

 _Hopefully Nyx brings a pair of flats_ , she thought miserably.

After what felt like an eternity, Magda reached the fountain and fell to her knees in front of it. One shaking hand brought water to her face, make up falling in pink drops onto the marble.

 _Great_ , she thought, looking at her shadowy reflection in the water. _How am I going to avoid a lecture if my dress is different AND my face looks like this…_

She scrubbed the remaining makeup off, fishing in her clutch for another handkerchief to dry her face with. It was worthless now so she let it flutter to the ground.

“I didn’t even acquire any new intels,” she muttered, sitting in the grass and resting her back against the fountain’s basin. She couldn’t recall having a ball experience this disastrous since she’d first entered the social circle. At the back of her mind, she knew it had every potential to get worse, too.

_I need to hide. Dinner will be over soon._

\--

“Lord Barris, you smoke?”

A few grooms had congregated at the bottom of the stairs at the main entrance, clearly to gamble. The dice were nowhere in sight, though. Barris adjusted his coat and came down to meet them. He took the cigarette offered and inhaled, smoke leaving his nostrils as he glanced around the dark clearing.

“You smoke like the Rayorca,” one man teased, taking the cigarette. “Not very dignified.”

“If you've ever been to Rayorca you know that dignity isn't one of the habits you pick up,” Barris said curtly, descending the rest of the stairs. “

“Fair enough,” the man said, waving at him passively. “We heard a commotion inside but nobody asked for a runner yet. Everything alright?”

Barris turned to them and shrugged. “An overzealous young lady cut herself on some glass. The in-house doctor will see to her wounds. I'm sure if the matter becomes more urgent there will be more than one person to eagerly sound the alarm.”

“Sounds like something Lady Lynna'd do.” The group nodded and rolled their eyes amongst themselves.

“By the way, Lord Barris,” another gentleman called after him as he trekked up the lawn, “you wouldn’t happen to be looking for Signorino Balfey would you?”

Barris narrowed his eyes. “Not particularly. Why do you ask?”

The man shrugged. “He came up this way a little while ago asking me to get Lady Ellenstein's carriage ready to leave. I asked him where she was but he was already goin’ inside. Anyway, everyone and their ma knows she went in tonight with you.”

The group snickered and elbowed each other.

“I suppose if someone was trying to sidle up to my girl I'd want someone to tell me,” the man said amusedly, earning a collective chuckle from the group.

“How very tactful of you,” Barris said calmly, coming back over to the group. “In the spirit of tact, I’d advise you all to indulge in your ether in the privacy of your own homes.”

“Ah, come on Minister,” one gentleman whined. “Ain’t hurtin’ anyone. Every man’s got his vices.”

“Indeed. Though, if you could at least attempt to keep yourselves sober for me, personally, for the rest of this night, I’ll see to it your wages increase this period.” Barris turned back around, heading up the lawn more quickly. The grooms looked on, dumbfounded

“Goddess, he’s an odd one,” the man with the cigarette mused. “All the power in the damn world to throw a buncha lowlifes in the slammer for huffing and he’d rather share a ciggy and go take a stroll. Don’t know whether to be concerned or impressed.”

“Like a guy like that ain't got bigger fish to fry than your happy ass.”

“Excuse us, _groomsmen_.”

Three bejeweled biddies were cautiously peeking from behind the large front door and regarding the group with disdain. One of them asked, “Have any of you seen Lord Barris? We were going to have dessert with him but he never came back from the toilet. Is he out here?”

The groom’s looked at each other, smoke billowing up from their circle and into the night sky.

“Unfortunately no, dear Ladies. Perhaps check the lounge in the western wing of the building. He may have made a detour for one of Lady Vicky’s cocktails.”

\--

There was a certain unspeakable romance about being in a maze at night. It wasn’t something Magda had thought about before. She had originally planned on just sitting behind the first hedge and waiting for someone to come for her, but the Bavlenka’s had created an experience that invoked euphoria.

Maybe it was the cool grass under her shoeless feet. Maybe it was the enchanted stones on either side creating a gently iridescent path with each step. Maybe it was the breathtaking statues of the Goddess at every corner covered in vines and roses that gleamed gold. Maybe it was just too much physical activity with too little space for her diaphragm to expand. Whatever it was, it made her feel sentimental for something she hadn’t had before. She touched the hedge walls and smiled up at the stars, framed like a painting between leafy walls.

In the distance, she heard laughter.

_Ah, people are probably coming out for a stroll now that they’ve eaten…_

When she listened more closely, the laughter was coming from further inside the maze. She considered her disheveled appearance and thought better of investigating, but then a second, more familiar laugh joined it.

_...Lord Lou?_

Instinctively, Magda gathered the skirt of her evening gown close and sharpened her focus, moving relative to where the glowing stones pulsed their path. Carefully, so as not to rustle against anything, she listened at every layer of green until she was close enough to hear garbled words.

_“...your horse?”_

_“...care...fence…”_

_They must’ve snuck in..._ Magda realized. _It sounds like a woman..._

Magda’s eyes suddenly widened in alarm, grass rustling loudly somewhere behind her.

“Eyas~”

Juven’s voice lilted over the walls, distinct enough to make Lou and her companion cease speaking. Magda forgot how to breathe.

“Eyas, I know you’re in here somewhere~” he continued in a coaxing tone. “Why don’t you come on out? I have your darling little shoe and I even helped Lady Nyx pick out a new gown for you…I could help you with your zippers while we wait for her~”

_This guy…_

Magda didn’t know whether to flush with embarrassment or fury. Maybe both were appropriate.

She was on the brink of deciding when she felt herself being pulled abruptly backwards into the thick of a side hedge. As she toppled back, she watched the space she had previously occupied combust into a stream of flame that propelled itself through until it had impaled every wall it touched in the maze and landed in a blaze on the lawn.

\--

Juven stood frozen, hand mere inches from where said impalement had excoriated the wall blocking his body. One of Magda’s shoes, which had been dangling from his index finger, was now a pile of ash on the ground. He flung the remaining singed silk away and leaned over to look through the hole.

Lou stood down the rows of blazing hedges, staring him dead in the eyes.

“Lord Lou,” Juven choked out with forced cheerfulness. “I seem to have disturbed you.”

“Do the abominable cries of a cat in heat disturb a peaceful evening?” Lou asked rhetorically. “Leave me.”

“Have you seen my little lamb?” he continued, ignoring her. “Lady Lynna made such a scene after dinner of blaming her for her injury that I supposed she may be reluctant to rejoin the party.”

Lou glared at Juven. For what it was worth, he didn't seem to be any more shaken by her display of power than a dog that had run into a glass door. Whether it was defiance or stupidity in his eyes, it annoyed her.

The hedge began regenerating its lost foliage, magic repairing the char that Lou's flames had left. Juven watched her disappear behind new branches, her back turned as she swallowed herself in flames.

“Keep better track of your pets, Juven.”

There was a distinct absence of sound when the flames ceased crackling, and Juven knew she was gone. He glanced behind him at the spot where her fireball had landed and it was almost completely fixed.

Nyx jogged nimbly from around the back of the estate and waved at him from behind a pillar. She looked both ways before crossing the rest of the lawn, a large leather bag draped over one of her dainty shoulders. Her look of rugged determination contrasted with the ruffles she was practically engulfed in and Juven struggled not to laugh.

“I had to bribe Willow to play a longer set and ask Uncle Leslie to block the patio doors until dessert is through, but we should be able to pull this off,” Nyx said confidently, probably just happy to be in on something interesting. “It was beginning to get stuffy in there anyway.”

“I still haven’t found our little damsel in distress,” Juven said with a shrug.

Nyx pouted disappointedly. “Balfey said she was out here...maybe she just left in her carriage? Nobody would’ve seen her leave.”

Juven looked at the bag, putting a hand under his chin in thought. He nodded, as if making a decision in his head.

“Perhaps we should leave the bag here. Eyas may be so ashamed that she refuses to let us see or help her further. In the meantime, we’ll go investigate whether her carriage is gone. If the bag is still here when we come back…” Juven winked and smiled, teeth glinting mischievously. “We may have to call out a search party.”

Nyx gave him a sour look. “That means something BAD happened to her, we want to AVOID that outcome.”

“Ah...right.” He took the bag from Nyx and placed it by the entrance to the hedge maze, calling out, “Eyas~! We have clothes here for you to change into. We’ll leave them so you can dress alone.”

“Viscount Sakan, I don’t think it’s wise to just leave the sister out here alone,” Balfey said, crawling out from underneath a hedge and regarding Juven critically. “She fell off the balcony and didn’t feel well. She might be passed out somewhere.”

Juven blinked. “Signorino Balfey, what in Goddess’ name are you doing under there…”

“You know exactly what he was going to do,” Nyx hissed, crossing her arms and blushing. “Both of you are the same kind of man. I’m glad Magda’s not here to see this.”

Juven laughed nervously and rubbed his neck. “That’s harsh, Lady Nyx~ I would never look upon a lady who didn’t expressly ask me to~”

"Me neither," Balfey said defensively. "I'm being stealthy. Much stealthier than _you_."

Nyx gave him a frog face and turned to march towards the front entrance. “You’re both the worst. Let’s go see where Magda’s carriage is. And if Magda IS here, I will return ALONE to help her, got it?”

They left, and there were a few moments of serene silence before a figure emerged from inside of the maze. Barris stood over the bag, hair disheveled and leaf laden, with a swipe of dirt across his cheek. He sighed heavily and picked the bag up, then pushed his way back through the hedges until he had exited it where the thick walls of the property boundaries met the narrow strip of space just outside of the back of the maze.

\--

There was a small stone storage shed flanked on either side by large bushes, which clearly had not been cleaned in more than a decade. Barris walked over to it, knocked softly, and opened the door. He looked down at where Magda was lying on the dusty floor, wrapped in his coat and shivering.

“Lady Ellenstein,” he started quietly, “Lady Nyx brought these for you. You’ll feel better if you change clothes.”

Magda stared wide eyed into the space where he stood and didn’t respond. Barris glanced around before entering, pursing his lips and pushing a cobweb out of his face.

“Lady Ellenstein, I know that was...a harrowing experience, but we need to get you home. This isn’t the place for a lady to-”

“To what?” she asked, voice softly quavering. Barris tilted his head to try to make eye contact.

“To dwell in general,” he said gently. “In the physical sense, and to do so on your thoughts.”

“I don’t have any worthwhile thoughts on it,” she said, closing her eyes and moving her arms to sit up from the floor. Barris watched, then turned his head when he noticed the strap on her gown was torn.

“I’m going to step outside,” he said, clearing his throat. “Please come out when you’re ready. I’ll escort you to your carriage.”

“ _Mr. Barris_ ,” Magda suddenly burst out, face hidden behind her bangs and one hand clutching his coat. “I have something I need to say."

Barris closed his eyes and turned so he was half facing her, his head and neck splashed bright red. He crossed his arms and pulled at his shirt sleeves, clearly uncomfortable.

“All right then, uh. Go ahead.”

His short, cautious tone made her lift her eyes to glance at him, then back down at the floor, not as confident as she had been before that this was the correct route to approach the subject.

“...Mr. Barris, you and I both know...it was me the other night...the maid you helped-”

“-Lady Ellenstein, you needn’t say anymore,” Barris said quickly, sighing and running a hand through his hair. “Please allow me to apologize for that night, and, further, for not being more...forthright in…” He gulped and stared hard at a rusting pair of pruning shears on the only window sill. “...confronting the issue.”

They sat in awkward silence, each testing a glance occasionally at the other.

Magda pushed a piece of hair behind her ear and gathered her legs in under her dress.

“Mr. Barris...please forgive me for pushing the conversation...but...I need to make myself understood…” she began, pulling his coat further up her shoulder.  “It’s important to me...that you know...that I would never...I would _never_ spy on the Sakan family with ill intentions-”

“-I know, love.”

Magda looked up in surprise. Barris’ green eyes widened with embarrassment that he had interrupted her, and in a tone more endearing than one might use with an acquaintance.

“M-My apologies, Lady Ellenstein…” He rubbed his neck and searched frantically for a reply in the junk pile to his left. “I mean, I can’t think of a time where I haven’t been impressed with your candour in any given situation...not that I dwell leisurely on your character...or...any other...part of you…”

The silence was immediately gripping, the implications in his words soaking into both of their brains like soup in dry bread. Barris was frozen with his hand at his neck, blood vessels begging him to shut the hell up. Magda stared unblinkingly at the floor, ears on fire.

 _Desist, Minister Fuckwit_ , he pleaded with himself. He would’ve given anything right then to be able to crawl into one of the many ancient rodent holes in the walls to die.

“Goddess...Juven was _right_ ,” he muttered miserably to himself, putting a despairing hand to his forehead.

“Pardon?” Magda said quietly.

“Ah...um...what I _mean_ to say, is…” He took a few steps forward, then lowered himself to sit at a respectful distance beside her. “I think it’s... _admirable_...that you put yourself in a position like that…knowing what’s at stake...you do these things for your mother’s sake, right?”

Magda looked at him carefully, then studied the floor. He smiled reassuringly.

“What could possibly be wrong with trying to make life easier for someone else?”

“...I suppose I have been reckless…” Magda said, looking at her lap. “So long as you understand me...I hope you can also understand why I must continue doing these things…”

They made eye contact, and he saw in her eyes a kind of pleading. He realized their fears had been different this whole time, him believing her worst case scenario would be suffering a devastating social blow if the secret got out. The only thing she had shown real remorse over was potentially losing his respect, and now he was at a loss for how to respond.

“You can trust I’ll keep this information confidential,” he said seriously. She smiled, closing her eyes contentedly.

“I know. Mr. Barris is that kind of man.”

 _GET A G R I P_ , his brain screamed, the skin on his face threatening to melt off as he stared into the dark.

“Mr. Barris...more than anyone else in the social circle, I think you know how I feel.” She glanced back up at him through her eye lashes. “I’m not very good at being a lady...but I have a duty to perform.”

Barris’ heart pounded up into his ears and he held her gaze.

“On the contrary, Magda Ellenstein,” he said, fiddling with one strawberry blonde lock of hair near his ear. “I think you are one of the finest ladies in Finsel.”

They shared a warm silence, neither daring to try and look at the other, both a little scared of the unfamiliar but pleasant tension that had been created.

“I do have to ask, Mr. Barris,” Magda said quietly after several minutes, “how it is that you managed to find me in the hedge maze? Did Signorino Balfey tell you what happened?”

“Er-” Barris suddenly went rigid again, his eyes sliding guiltily to look away from her. “In truth, I intended to help you subtly tonight, but it seems I’ve made things much more complicated…”

He reached into his pocket and produced her makeup stained handkerchief from the fountain, then his eyes widened with realization.

“I also found this-” He went to reach for his coat, a bit of moonlight through the dirty window in the door showing the place where one of the pockets was in the dark. Magda shifted a bit to allow the reach, and then their faces were suddenly inches apart. Each remembered their dance from before and froze in panic, Barris’ hand already folded around the pocket’s contents.

“Ah…” He slowly pulled her other, un-burnt shoe out and blinked at her. “I can...get the other one from Juven…and bring it to you...perhaps tomorrow.”

Magda blinked back. “...I’d appreciate that very much.”

Barris Sakan had stood in uproarious courtrooms looking murderers dead in the eye while he read their souls to waste based on combined theory from half a dozen different countries and a lifetime’s worth of obsessive study brought into competent practice, and the best he could come up with, seeing his own reflection in her eyes with a large amount of shared carbon dioxide between them, was “...Good, then.”

Magda’s mind wandered to one of her favorite songs that Mr. Willow would sing later in the evenings at Bavlenka balls. It was slow and passionate, describing the pulling sensation between two people in close proximity, the inexplicable desire to trace around someone’s ears, jaw, and brow. She was usually privy to helping drunk Barbara to her carriage when it played, but she could feel now why so many people crowded onto the floor to dance to it…

“I should get dressed,” she said wistfully, blinking like she might fall asleep.

“Yes, of course,” Barris replied, shaking his head a bit as he came out of his trance. He pulled himself to his feet, then offered a hand to Magda. She took it, got her balance, and her hand moved to take his coat from off her shoulders. He wordlessly moved his own to guide it back to where it had been.

“I’ll be outside,” he said quietly, his hand lingering on hers. Magda watched him go, then moved to distract herself with what Nyx had put in the bag for her.

Outside, Barris heaved a ragged sigh and dropped the shoe to put his face in his hands.

“Romance can be a difficult thing when you’re caught between the vast array of emotions inside of you seeking an outlet, and the inhibiting fixtures of human etiquette, wouldn’t you agree?"

Barris whirled around to see Rincole, lying lazily on the roof of the shed. Her thin eyes were glimmering above a precocious smile as she brought a finger to her lips.

“I was hoping I would have an interesting encounter tonight.”

-

  
**A/N:** _When I started this I wasn’t completely through the available main story line, so any similarities with canon instances are (mostly) coincidental._


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barris and Magda finally fucking stumble upon the plot.

**_A/N_ ** _ : Coming in hot and noticeably unedited.  _

 

\--

 

Maids, footmen, and guests alike moved aside in the dimly lit corridors of the west wing to watch Gonzalo Jorcastle briskly power walk past. He had taken special care to choose rich, reflective metallics to wear tonight, and now all of the wrong people were giving him attention. His golden eyes squinted so he could see further down the hall, his mother’s distinguished figure cutting towards him at a more relaxed pace. 

“Careful, dear. We’ve suffered enough humiliation this evening already,” Tilla said in an exasperated tone as he came up to her. “If you’re going down to see her, try not to make a scene.” 

“Mother, Lynna’s inability to effectively hold a glass is  _ hardly _ the most embarrassing thing happening tonight.”

Tilla’s eye twitched. “You mean there’s _ more _ ridicule for me to look forward to enduring at the salon on Wednesday?”

“Compared with Lady Ellenstein’s predicaments, we’ve had a rather peaceful night.”

Tilla’s head bobbed in reluctant agreement and her eyes softened. “It depends on which way you look at it, I suppose. Every worthwhile man in Finsel’s got their nose to the ground she walks on now, thanks to that unexpected entrance…Eliza must be proud...”

“Mother, I’d  _ rather _ not speak on it until the night is  _ over  _ if it’s all the same to you,” Gonzalo said melodramatically, fingers poised at his forehead. For his own reasons, he needed to find Magda and express to her in person the compounded irritation he had accrued with every decision she had and had  _ not _ made this evening. Primarily the decision not to tell him she was coming with such a... _ conversation piece _ . 

Tilla raised her eyebrows and squinted at him. “You do dote on her as of late...hurry up and snatch her up for yourself. I could  _ use _ a daughter I can  _ depend _ on. Stealing her away from a man so invested in his work over everything else should be something even  _ you  _ can handle.”

“Mother, you jest,” he said, giving her shoulder an affectionate squeeze. “I need someone content to bask in the magnificent shadow I cast.”

With a withered sigh, Tilla closed her eyes and continued gracefully down the hall, leaving her son to his devices. 

Gonzalo’s cane smacked the door to the Bavlenka sick room open, Lynna yelping in surprise from where she sat on a chaise in the far corner. Lawrence was pouring her a cup of tea, a plate tier of delicate tarts on a table beside them. 

“I see you’ve all but recovered,” he stated, mouth forming a thin line. “I need to ask you where Lady Ellenstein is.”

Lynna sniffed. “That hick girl disappeared after I suffered my injury. She didn’t even ask if I needed any help. Completely heartless.”

“You know, when you lie, your lip does this...this  _ hideous  _ thing where it’s like…” Gonzalo lifted his lip over one glistening canine with a gloved hand. “It’s appalling. If you do that into your old age, the whole damn lip is going to sag. You’ll go to ask Xavier for a cream for it and he’ll think you were born with a tiny, saggy tit on your face. He’ll pickle it in a bloody speciman jar after you die.”

“You’re  _ terrible _ ,” Lynna retorted, small tears developing at the corners of her eyes. “No wonder you love consorting with that trash heap so much.”

“My Lady is not lying, my Lord,” Lawrence said with cautious defensiveness. “We truly don’t know where Lady Ellenstein went after our interaction.”

“Well, there’s no stairs down from that balcony, so the both of you must just be daft, then,” Gonzalo concluded with a shrug, turning on his polished heels to exit the room. “I  _ refuse _ to believe she’s spent the entire evening in the arms of that speckled  _ catastrophe _ . She would’ve  _ consulted _ me first-”

“-Excuse me, is Lady Lynna here?” Barbalius’ figure appeared from behind the door, a concerned look in his eyes. “Ah, my Lady, I wanted to find you after you were ushered away to have your hand bandaged, but I was pulled aside by some acquaintances…” He smiled warmly and Lynna’s whole body turned pink. “I hope you are comfortable now.”

“M-M-Mr. Barbalius…” Lynna stuttered, nervously adjusting her clothes and squishing her breasts together to emphasize her handkerchief. “I mean, I  _ hoped _ of course that you would come to see me personally...it was a  _ dreadful _ ordeal...now that  _ you’re  _ here, though…”

“I can’t watch this right now,” Gonzalo said with abrupt disgust, flinging his arms over his head. “I have a rival to scold. Move, Sir Loin.” 

Barbalius moved aside, wrinkling his nose with distaste. “Of course, Lord Gonzalo. Always a pleasure.”

Gonzalo flung open the door and immediately collided with Juven, both of them falling to the floor in a pile of luxurious pink’s and green’s.

“Oh. It’s just you,” Gonzalo said, smirking at the man underneath him. “I thought I might have ensnared someone  _ charming  _ in my net.”

Juven gave him a mischievous look. “Your measurements aren't usually my type, but if you're so desperate as to fondle me in the hall with everyone watching, I'm guessing the evening has taken an even dryer turn for you than expected. I might be willing to make an exception~”

“Er…” Gonzalo faltered, glancing up at the forming ring of curious onlookers. Balfey was among them, shoving cheesecake in the general area around his mouth.

“Stop messing around,” he said critically, licking his fingers. “We gotta find that tall Lionheart knight. And all of  _ you  _ can  _ leave  _ if you’ve got nothing better to do than gawk.”

The crowd dispersed begrudgingly and Juven chuckled. 

“Signorino Balfey is right,” he said, lifting his outstretched arms in a shrug. “I'd love to lie here and chat, but I have a family emergency to resolve.”

“Ah,  _ yes _ ,” Gonzalo said with palpable mirth. “Your uncle and his pursuit of redefining what exactly a classic Sakan behavior now entails. There were several men unceremoniously robbed of their opportunity to ask for Lady Ellenstein’s first dance,  _ including _ me.”

Juven gave him an unamused look. “When I find him I'll inform him of his indictment.”

Gonzalo froze, eyes wide with sudden insecurity. “You don’t know where he is? Someone ALWAYS knows where  _ he  _ is. He attracts spinsters the way ankles attract ticks.” 

“The prevailing word is,  _ yes _ ,  _ Lord Gonzalo _ , the two parties around which this upsetting  set of rumors is swirling are both missing  _ at the same time _ ,” Juven hissed pointedly, a vein in his forehead popping out slightly. “Get off of me you great, lumbering  _ bird  _ so I can  _ deal with it _ .”

“Che.” Gonzalo dismounted the Viscount and they both stood to fix their clothing. “I’d kill you if I weren’t also looking for Lady Ellenstein…”

“Yes, it must’ve been very  _ difficult  _ for you to not put her through a customary beauty comparison to capture the attention of your guardsman.”

Gonzalo closed his eyes and blushed. “As long as we have an understanding.”

Barbalius’ head peaked back out at them slowly from behind the door, a concentrated frown on his face.

“You...You’re both looking for Lady Ellenstein as well…”

Juven’s face glimmered with expectant glee and Gonzalo’s fell with foreboding as Barbalius side stepped around the door to join them and closed it behind him. 

“ _ Please _ tell me you spent an adequate amount of time flattering Lynna without speaking  _ that _ name before coming out here…” Gonzalo said miserably.

“ _ Mr. Barbalius _ ~!” Juven said pleasantly, leaning on the door post and giving a short wave. “Signorino Balfey and I were just coming to ask you where we might be able to find your lovely associate, Lady Bergnya.”

Barbalius blinked with confusion. “Forgive me, my Lord...to my knowledge, Lady Bergnya was not invited tonight. It was a great privilege for me to be able to attend such an exclusive event hosting Finsel’s most elite as an envoy to the Lionheart Kingdom-”

“Skip to the part where this invigorating and relevant dialogue ties in with my interests,  _ Viscount Sakan _ ,” Gonzalo interrupted harshly, glaring at Juven and drumming his fingers on the handle of his cane. 

Juven grinned, trimming his eyes down to green slats and gesturing at Balfey. “You are correct, Mr. Barbalius...to confirm this, my associate and I just finished looking over the official guest list.”

Barbalius looked between the two of them, visibly perplexed. “...You’ll have to forgive me my Lord’s, I fail to see what this has to do with our search for Lady Ellenstein.”

“ _ Agreed _ ,” Gonzalo said through gritted teeth. 

“On any normal day it might not mean much of anything in regards to a search for a lady we’re all fond of,” Juven said with a small shrug, never taking his sharp eyes off Barbalius. “But, that lady came in this evening on the arm of the Minister of Justice, who I happen to know just took a significantly tighter grip on regulations for import and export of horses because of a recent outbreak of equine flu.” 

“Many business investors from the Lionheart Kingdom are upset that they have to comply with the new standards because they cost more money to implement,” Balfey said matter-of-factly, searching in his pocket for a napkin to wipe his face. “They’re offended at the implication that they could have anything to do with the outbreak because of their consistently high standards for breeding and care.”

“And while the friendship and camaraderie sown between our two countries continues to blossom, it’s no secret that the Lionheart Kingdom has looked down on Finsel for its comparatively compendious involvement of the Church in its state affairs,” Juven said, studying his nails and rubbing them on his lapel. “More than one of my uncle’s mentor’s laments that his time in Lionheart did not instill more of a reverence for what the Goddess might have to say about certain legislation.”

Barbalius stared at Juven, now vaguely aware he was being mocked. “Viscount Sakan, I understand you have grasped the depth of my ignorance on these matters. While it might bring you great amusement to watch me fumble for a response, I must ask that you get to the point.”

“We found Bergnya’s horse just off the Bavlenka property,” Juven informed him. “It was tied to a tree. We wouldn’t have found it if Balfey hadn’t insisted on taking a piss in the woods while we looked for Lady Ellenstein’s carriage.”

Balfey beamed proudly with his hands on his hips. “ _ And I’d do it again if I had to _ .”

Barbalius’ perplexed brow deepened its furrow. “How do you know it was hers?”

“On several occasions she’s brought that monstrous beast with her to observe training for The Guard, and I believe you were with us when we took a group further North on a hunt this past autumn. I’d know it anywhere, with or without the  _ gorgeous  _ red tack it was wearing. Very high quality.”

“Are you implying that she’s  _ here _ somewhere?” Gonzalo hissed, stepping closer to them with panic in his eyes. “It’s already a huge faux pas to show up uninvited to a  _ small _ party, but this is the  _ Founding Ball _ . If the wrong person catches her wandering the halls and questions it, she’ll be stripped of everything that matters, including her knighthood.”

“Bergnya is hardly an assassin, Sir, if that is where your accusation eventually leads,” Barbalius snarled at Juven. “The  _ gall _ that must be possessed in order to even  _ suggest _ it is-”

“Sakan sized, I know~” Juven drawled. “Then you’ll have no issue helping us on our little secret scavenger hunt will you? If this  _ isn’t  _ some coup set on my uncle in response to all the things I said earlier that went completely over your pretty, golden head?”

“You’ve already searched the grounds, I presume,” Barbalius said quietly, though audibly enraged.

“Lady Nyx went to investigate whether a certain bag we left was taken,” Juven said with a nod. “Our Eyas has had an...eventful evening. I’d be willing to forgive Bergnya’s presence without an invitation if she were helping her dress~”

“Where the hell does your uncle fit into all of this, then?” Gonzalo asked. “Are we to presume they are... _ engaged _ , in... _ something _ ?”

Barbalius, Juven, and Balfey all answered flatly, “No.” They side-eyed each other. 

“Lady Ellenstein would never…”

“My uncle would never…”

“Not that sister…”

“So...we’re all in agreement that I’m  _ far  _ more likely to find one or the other dead in a pool of blood than... _ together _ ... _ philandering _ ?” Gonzalo asked with cautious disgust.

All nodded resolutely. 

“Right. Then, there’s hardly anything to fear. Where shall we go from here, gentlemen?” Gonzalo asked, raising his eyebrows and leaning on his cane expectantly with both hands. 

“We’ll check the usual places my uncle hides on the rare occasions he attends something here,” Juven instructed. “Barbalius, you check the lounge. Balfey, you check the library. Lord Limelight…”

Gonzalo flipped his long bangs and grinned. “Yes, Pink Disaster?”

Juven rubbed his chin. “Stay with me for now. I may need a distraction.”

Gonzalo shrugged. “At least you know who you’re dealing with.”

\--

“I’m willing to help you if you like,” Rincole said blithely, looking down at Barris from the roof of the storage shed. One finger plucked at a string on her harp, the single monotonous tone echoing eerily off the night air. Barris gave her a hard, unwavering look. 

“You’ve been listening. You already know there’s nothing worth hiding.”

“Ah, but  _ they  _ don’t know that,” she said, that wicked, red glint in her eyes sending chills down his spine. “And you know as well as I do that what  _ they  _ think happened is what matters.” 

Barris turned to look at the door to the shed, a sympathetic softness moving his face in a way Rincole had grown weary of having to endure herself years ago. It was, however,  _ very  _ entertaining to watch someone  _ else  _ deal with it and all the messy little bits it brought with it. She leaned her head on her free hand and bit her lip.

“The small Bavlenka lady approaches from within the maze.”

Barris pulled himself out of his contemplation, eyes scanning their surroundings for more options. 

“Perhaps you can escort Lady Ellenstein to her carriage when she’s finished dressing, if you would be so kind, Rincole...”

“No.”

Barris about fell over, then turned to her with an incredulous expression on his face. Rincole turned her nose up to the sky indifferently and shrugged.

“Make it interesting for me.”

“You’ve got to be  _ kidding me _ ,” he seethed, holding his arms out exaggeratedly to her. “If not for  _ my  _ sake, have some compassion for  _ her _ .”

“You’re one to talk,” she said indignantly, crimson eyes stark against her pale features. “The lady struggles from within to ask you to undo her corset so she can dress. You’re terrible at this.”

He flushed and whispered hoarsely, “AT  _ WHAT _ , PRAYTELL?!”

“Foreplay,” she said bluntly, putting a finger to her lips to indicate he should be quiet. “Do as I say. Go inside to help her.”

Barris opened his mouth to make an aggressive protest, but he heard Nyx’s small cry of “Magda? Are you out here?” from a short distance, and decided it might be best to do as he was told. 

“ _ I’ll be right back out _ ,” he growled at Rincole, stalking up to the door and knocking softly, never looking away from her. 

Magda peaked at him from behind the door, still wrapped in his coat. Her eyes refused to meet his. 

“Ah...Mr. Barris, I don’t know how to ask this of you-”

“-Please forgive me, Lady Ellenstein,” he said quickly, moving around the door and closing it behind him. “I left you in a...predicament…”

“I got most of this untied on my own,” she said through an embarrassed cringe, slowly moving the coat to show him the lax strings of her corset, “but I usually have the maid help me undress when I return home, and it’s too large to wear under what Nyx gave me. I just need you to do the last part...if that’s all right…”

Barris cleared his throat and cursed Rincole under his breath as he stared at the floor. There were two perfectly viable female options outside, one of which was playing on his weakness for a fleeting thrill, and the other too much of a wild card to let in on all of the details of why the evening had become... _ this _ . He didn’t fully trust anyone working in tandem with Juven, either. Goddess, he really didn’t want to give Rincole what she wanted, though-

As if she could read his mutinous thoughts, he heard Rincole holler cheerfully, “Lady Nyx~ is that you beyond the brush? Come over here and give Lady Rincole some company.” 

Magda, who had not been aware that Rincole was outside until now, froze in terror and clutched Barris’ coat to her person. He gave her a reassuring look despite his own spiked heart rate, and held a finger to his lips.

Nyx shoved herself between the hedges, emerging with a worried look on her face. “Lady Rincole? Have you seen Magda out here anywhere?”

Rincole tilted her head and asked, “My dear, why would a proper lady skip dessert at such a lavish party?”

Nyx hesitated, not sure she should disclose to Rincole that Magda was at a disadvantage fashion-wise right now. But she also knew Rincole was very clever and didn’t care about things like wearing hosiery. The bag was gone, so Magda probably wasn’t dead. Was it a worthwhile gamble?  Was it a sign that Magda just wanted to be left alone? 

Nyx pursed her lips, trying not to take it personally that that was the likely explanation. 

Rincole caught on to the younger girl’s inner conflict and grinned. “Perhaps, if my lady is not too busy, you might accompany me back inside for some refreshments. Lady Ellenstein may have just missed you and gone back inside to enjoy your family’s hospitality.” 

Nyx looked up at her hopefully and smiled. “Mm. That sounds fine.” Her eyes were drawn to the shed and she tilted her own head curiously. 

“Rincole...how is it that you happened upon this place? I did not know we had a shed here and...I  _ live  _ here.” 

Rincole’s eyes slid down to stare knowingly at the roof tiles. “I saw Lord Lou leaving after her performance and sought her out for a stroll in the gardens. Alas, she was preoccupied. So, I wandered on my own, and came upon this charming structure.” She rapped on the roof with her knuckles. “Your sister really is very intriguing.”  

Nyx beamed. “I’m sure if you find her again this evening she would go for a walk with you. This is her favorite place to be when she’s home. Lady Rincole is so elegant that convincing her would be no issue.”

“Such a sweet young lady~” Rincole cooed, moving to stand on the roof. She jumped down gracefully, slinging her harp around to her back. “Shall we, then?”

Nyx blushed and took the arm she was offered, Rincole smirking at the cottage once more before escorting her back towards the mansion. 

\--

Several minutes passed before Barris dared to peek from behind the door to see if they had truly left. He was still unsure of the nature of the transaction he had made with Rincole and figured she would be back to make his life harder if they didn’t move to a different location. 

“Lady Rincole has given us an opportunity to get you to your carriage,” he acknowledged dryly, closing the door once more and turning to Magda, who was lost in thought.

“Did you hear what Lady Rincole said about Lord Lou?” she said, now considerably less worried about the situation of her company and attire. 

“That doesn’t concern us right now,” Barris muttered, staring at his favorite pair of shears on the window sill again. “I assume I don’t have to explain that Lady Rincole has issues honoring privacy.” 

Magda gave him a look of irritation. “Mr. Barris, I’m no fool. You were as close to Lord Lou in the maze as I was. You know there was someone else there. What’s more, you knew Lady Rincole was outside. Does she know I am also in here?”

“This is absolutely a conversation I’d rather have with a fully clothed woman,” Barris said under his breath, moving a hand to rub his forehead. 

Magda narrowed her eyes. “Do not try to divert my attention. No one has more to lose in my state than I do.”

Barris’ face softened with shame but he still refused to look her in the eye. “My most sincere apologies, my Lady. Things have...far exceeded my control.”

Magda sighed and shrugged under his coat. “With all do respect Mr. Barris, I don’t think you had much to do with the harsher portion of what I’ve experienced this evening.”

He laughed nervously. “You misunderstand. Since we’re already... _ here _ …” he said witheringly, using one hand to gesture in the direction of her form, “I need to explain the reason I so abruptly asked you to join me as my companion for the evening-”

“-You sought to help me find a husband,” she said with flat finality, him forgetting himself long enough to look at her in shock. “Forgive me for saying so, Sir, but once the consequences of your actions began invading my space with their concerns for my viable happiness in a potential... _ arrangement _ with you, it became painfully clear what your intentions were. Annoying as suitors are, I can’t say that arduous affection outranks falling a full story onto an acquaintance and nearly being incinerated.”

There was a moment of silence, and then Barris burst into an infectious fit of laughter that broke Magda’s own hardened face into a smile. 

“Admittedly, my plan had many flaws,” he said wryly. “I am not one for grand, spontaneous gestures.”

“You’re worried for me,” she continued to drill, Barris growing increasingly uncomfortable with how closely she was able to follow his line of thought, “because you know I work as a maid and it would be a terrible scandal if someone were to find out and use it against me. You think that situation could be most easily negated by me finding a rich partner so I can retire in luxury with my reputation intact.”

He glanced at her, opened his mouth to reply, decided not to, pursed his lips, raised his eyebrows, then glanced away. “Guilty.”

She shuffled over to him, leaning her face over so he was forced to look at her. “Would I have the distinction of being a fine lady in your eyes if it were so easy for me to find someone to share this life with?”

“I don’t think a lady is in a position to fairly be judged because of who she marries in order to ensure the wellbeing of herself and her family,” he said softly, by this time much too accustomed to the heat radiating off his ears.

“Do you go so far for every young lady in a similar predicament?” she challenged. 

He gave her an exhausted look. “Mercy, my Lady. You're in your  _ underwear _ , for Goddess’ sake.”

“Perhaps I should faint and you might be able to wrangle the strength to help me in a way I actually need.” 

She whipped her head away and stalked the five paces of space left to the other side of the shed, ignoring his morphing expression of befuddlement. His coat was cast aside and she stood with her arms folded over her chest, away from him. 

“I am not in a position to ask you to do anything more for me,” she said calmly. “Any judgement I’m to receive for the decisions I’ve made up to this point...from you or anyone else...I’ll take them and leave you out of it, Minister.” 

Barris’ eye twitched in annoyance. ‘Minister’ sounded inexplicably alienating the way she had said it.

“I think you could surmise I wouldn’t just leave you in this condition,” he said carefully, taking one step towards her. 

“Could I? I’m not leaving this ball until I know more about who was in the garden with Lord Lou,” Magda proclaimed. “Since I’m already the conversation topic of the evening, I’m giving you a chance to leave and pretend you haven’t seen me since our dance.”

“We are on equal ground in this,” he argued, controlled vexation misting his words. He took another step and scooped his coat up off the floor. “My reputation is also at risk. If people found out I had seen you in such a vulnerable state...multiple times...the social backlash would be enough that I would be forced to resign from my position.”  

She was silent, but he could see her shoulders shaking and her fingers digging into her own skin, and he knew she knew all of that. Knew they both knew they were both trying with very poor results to help each other. He slipped into an imaginary scenario where their mutual inability to express their care was charmingly connubial and he nearly tripped and fell on her. 

“-can’t lose it...”

“Pardon?” he asked softly from behind her. 

“Your friendship,” she said with the slow precision of someone trying not to cry. “I can’t lose it.”

“I’m not so easy to be rid of,” he said patiently. He situated the coat around her shoulders so her front was covered, and began carefully pulling the remaining corset strings loose. 

The first string came easily, and the second, but then the third took more effort. This shouldn’t have been a big deal, but in his haste to have the task finished, Barris pulled it loose enough that one of his finger brushed some exposed skin. The pause immediately following him snapping his hand away in panic and her shivering in an...absence of discomfort...was filled with uneasiness for their individual reasons. 

“I think that should be enough,” he practically choked after several more strings, clearing his throat. Magda said nothing, but turned so she could look up at him. Meeting her eyes felt like an indulgence to be mindful of and it bothered him greatly. 

“Thank you, Barris.”

It registered in both their brains that she’d failed to use any kind of formality, and she moved her hands, which were drowned in the cloth that made the arms of his coat, to bring them up and cover her blush. She groaned in embarrassment and he stared in dumbfounded amusement. 

_ Her undeniable charm… _

“ _ I’llbeoutside _ ,” he announced abruptly, whirling around to throw himself out the door before even checking to see if Rincole had returned. To her credit, it appeared that she had not, and Barris’ nerves rejoiced in their brief reprieve. 

-

Magda was grateful to Nyx. Assuming Magda would at least need to keep attending the ball, she had given her a simple but elegant blue silk sheath dress and a sheer bolero. It was a bit snug (which Magda tried not to be bitter over), but it was much easier to move in than the bulky ensemble she had arrived in. She nearly cried when she found a flask of water and a croissant underneath everything, too. 

As she adjusted some ruffled tulle near her chest, she caught sight of the bruise on the breast she had stabbed with the needle and cringed with humiliation all over again. Her eyes moved to look at Barris’ coat and she picked it up from where she had placed it on the floor. Rummaging in the pockets, she found all three of her handkerchiefs inside. 

_ If mom were to find out I suppose it’d be difficult to explain _ , she thought. For whatever reason, she wasn’t completely uncomfortable with him having them, though. She tucked them back inside, her lips curling up in a smile. 

She opened the door and peeked outside, looking for Barris. He stood further off beside the hedges, staring up at the sky. He didn’t seem to notice she had come out. 

_ Sorry, Mr. Barris, but if my mom is going to find out about whatever happened tonight anyway, I can’t go back empty handed…and I’ve already caused enough trouble for you... _

As quietly as possible, Magda glided on bare feet over the short stretch of grass to the hedge and climbed through. At this point, she knew there was no way she was going to appear impressive or even appropriately dressed, so she’d have to just act as confident in her attire as possible until more intel appeared. 

_ I think it was this way _ , she figured hesitantly, letting the iridescent stones in the maze guide her around several corners. 

Twice she was veered in the opposite direction she knew she needed to go, so she had to take short cuts through more foliage. Eventually the maze’s path widened into a grassy clearing with a large, vine covered fountain in the center. The statue gracing the platform in the middle was of an elegantly dressed, but weather worn man posing as if mid-dance with an invisible partner. It was in stark contrast to the other statues Magda had seen, which had all been of the Goddess. That in itself seemed suspicious, and in her gut she knew she was standing where Lord Lou had been before. 

“It’s meant to look like The Grand Duke’s father in his youth, I believe.”

Magda turned her head sharply to see Barris come out from behind the corner of a hedge where he had been hiding. He didn’t look particularly pleased that she had chosen to ditch him. She held his gaze and lifted her chin. 

“As I said before, Mr. Barris, you needn’t involve yourself further in my messy affairs.”

“And, as I said before, I’m not so easily shaken,” he said gruffly, crossing the clearing to stand in front of her. He had his coat under one arm. “The fact you thought I wouldn’t find you is  _ insulting _ . You run louder than Juven on his first hunt. And he was  _ four _ .” 

Magda blushed in layers; first for his jab, then at the implication that underneath all of the droll intellect he presented in public was someone intrepid enough to teach the Viscount survival skills. She turned her face away and started walking towards the fountain. He watched her wearily and followed several paces behind. 

“What exactly are you looking for…”

“That’s none of your concern, Sir.”

“Lady Ellenstein, I have a lot of patience, but if I have to  _ carry  _ you back to your house this evening, I will.”

“Your chivalry is misplaced,” she replied, marching ahead.

“It'll be done more for my own peace of mind,” he called, watching her climb into the dry fountain basin. He then watched her circle the statue like a vulture, studying it with a hand under her chin. When she began looking for a way to climb up, he reluctantly decided it was time to intervene.

“Lady Ellenstein, you're not wearing shoes.”

“Thank you, Mr. Barris. Your observation is noted.”

A vein popped out near his hairline. “You know very well that if you proceed you'll likely injure yourself or I'll be guilted into offering my support."

“I’m guilting no one by inspecting a garden statue,” she said curtly, reaching up to feather her fingers over the statue’s leg. Barris looked at it, looked at her struggling to touch it on tip toe, looked back at the leg, rolled his eyes, and climbed into the basin with her.

“I will lift you. If you reach for the arm instead you’ll have more space.”

Magda pursed her lips in frustration, but she couldn’t deny her height was...inhibiting. 

“I would be grateful for the help,” she said quietly. He gave her a tired smile and placed his coat on the curved lip of the basin. 

“You know,” he said in a chaffing tone, standing squarely behind her and placing his hands at her waist, “now that I know you value my friendship so highly, I shan’t take it so personally when you’re insincere in answering whether you’d like me to keep you company.”

She blushed furiously. “I was being sincere. Whether you assist me or not is entirely up to you.”

Before she could warn him that she might weigh too much, she was lifted gently to a place where she could reach for the leg of the statue. She crossed her legs and allowed him to lift her higher so she could get her entire person sitting. 

“Now that you’re up there, do you see anything?” he asked, hands set on his own hips. She was looking at him suspiciously, eyeing the unassuming arm muscles underneath his shirt. It was unnerving to be so light in one person’s arms. 

“I...I don’t know,” she said weakly, fumbling to look for something of relevance. She still couldn’t see over the tops of the hedges.

_ Maybe if I stand… _

Bringing her knees in underneath her, she used the statue’s curled in arm to assist her to a standing position. She found she could squeeze in as the statue’s elusive partner very nicely and gazed at the Bavlenka estate, its lights lit up in the windows and the soft hum of upbeat music reaching her ears. Barris watched her nervously. 

“I think you should come down,” he coaxed. “If it bothers you so much I can look into Lord Lou and any of her recent acquaintances if you like.”

“Not yet,” she said airily, tracing the statue’s worn, stone face with one finger.

There was no way to explain the sureness she had that there was  _ something  _ here that she was missing. She brought her right hand up and laced her fingers into the statue’s. She squeezed, and its palm gave way with a ‘click’. The whole stone pillar trembled as it began to turn slowly.

“MAGDA!” Barris yelled, eyes wide with panic and legs moving so he was parallel with her as the pillar moved. Magda clung to the statue, trying to remain calm. Her heart raced with the possibility that she had been right and she nearly forgot about her vulnerability. Barris pulled her to him when the pillar had curled down low enough for him to reach, bringing her in close to his chest. 

“Are you all right?!” he asked worriedly, cupping her face in his hands and moving her bangs around like she was hiding cuts in her hair. She nodded, unable to speak or stop shaking. He kept looking incredulously between her and the now gaping hole in the fountain where the statue had been.

“How...how did you know it would  _ do  _ that?” he asked. 

“I didn’t...I suppose I hoped for something hard enough,” she said wistfully, clutching his shirt with two fists and bowing her head to his chest. He blinked, blushed, and patted her head awkwardly. 

“I have to see where it goes,” she muttered tiredly. Her smile was divine when she brought her head back up to look him in the face, and he practically melted. 

“I’d prefer we leave things as they are,” he said, pulling a jittery hand all the way down from his eyes to his jaw to distract himself. “I’m not sure I could handle more surprises.”

“I didn’t say  _ we  _ have to see where it goes,” she pointed out, raising her eyebrows and pulling away from him. The empty space she left unoccupied felt colder and he shivered a bit. “This kind of intel itself is sensitive and priceless. I need to know what secrets are kept here.”

“Your exuberance is charming, but, again, you’re not wearing shoes, and we have no idea what’s down there,” he pointed out, hands back on his hips. He moved one arm to rub at his neck, a refreshed look of concern on his face. “If Lord Lou is involved in something unsavory, then there’s a possibility you’ll encounter her or her acquaintance with undesirable results.” He gulped. “Like death, for instance.”

“Then you can stay here if you’re scared,” Magda offered, trying to hide how unnerved she was herself and shuffling in her dress to the edge of the hole. Barris grabbed her arm abruptly and she turned to look at him. The freckles on his cheeks were splashed pink and he was looking at the ground again. 

“I am willing to accompany you,” he mumbled, glancing at her with his green eyes. “But on one condition.”

Her heart pounded in her ears and she felt herself nod in acknowledgement. He looked at the ground again, then back and more determinedly at her. 

“Tomorrow...when I come to bring you your shoes...perhaps we could have tea together…” She watched his initial boldness become clouded with insecurity and he flushed harder, mumbling, “...if not tomorrow...perhaps I could ask your mother...if another time might be better…”

Magda smiled sheepishly, reaching up to gently wipe the dirt smear he had had on his face for a while now. 

“I think that’s reasonable.”

 

\--

  
**_A/N_ ** _ : On the eighth day God created consistent characterization and I completely ignored him because I want my OTP’s to fuck eventually SO SORRY MY GUY _


	4. 4

_**A/N** : I know I labeled this story ‘M’ from the beginning, but make sure you recheck the tags so you’re not taken off guard by anything.  _

\--

_“And, if ever you desire to leave that cage you’ve built with your own two hands, so you can wrap them around meeee…”_

“Esteemed Goddess on a cloud made of the steam coming off of my _BODY_ , if that man were a _church_ I would worship every damn day of the _year_ ,” Kelly drawled, reunited with her opera glasses and five drinks deep. Linglan had long since abandoned her stock look of dismay, and was now responding to practically everything her friend said with a sip of wine and a look more akin to pity.

_“Darling, sing to me from behind the bars and I’ll answer from the outside looking iiiiiinnnn…”_

“You know, if Willow hears you drunkenly carrying on about Alminas while he’s performing, we’re all going to suffer the consequences. I wasn’t there, but I heard he shoved a baguette down a guy’s throat once because he was drunk and made a bunch of noise at one of Lady Nyx’s charity events.”

_“And we’ll fly away on an ocean breeze to where we’d rather beeee…”_

“Oh, I wouldn’t doubt it for a _minute_ ,” Kelly slurred. “The thing is, every strand of Alminas’ hair looks like a _sun beam_ and I am only a simple human woman. I’m _so sorry_ you don’t have loins and just have to cover your lack of _tinglies_ with a new patch of _beard hair_ that you shave off unsuspecting men every night while they’re asleep. Listening to me verbalize my _passionate_ yearning for another person must be so _difficult_ for you to comprehend.”

“ _Goddess,_ you are _miserable_ at parties,” Linglan grunted, snatching a bottle of chardonnay as it passed on a maid’s tray.

_“I’ll shut it all down, honey, so come away with me, and let our neeewww liiiivvveeesss begiiiiinnnn~”_

The crowd that had gathered at the front of the stage for Willow and his band exploded in applause and shrieking, several women proclaiming their undying love for him before fainting. Alminas gave a short bow as he stood from the piano. Kelly tried to stand and applaud but fell over and started laughing. Linglan stared into space, trying to ignore her.

She blinked and frowned when her eyes fell on a small huddle happening across the room up near the second story balcony.

\--

“Okay, so we’ve lost Balogna-is. I’m sure he’s probably just in the lounge making polite chit-chat with Lady Vicky,” Gonzalo said with a shrug. “I say we continue the search without him.”

“You don’t really think he and Lady Bergnya are planning a coup on the Minister of Justice do you?” Balfey asked, narrowing his eyes and pointing an inquisitive chocolate eclaire at Gonzalo and Juven.

“Of course not,” Juven said, flipping his hair over his shoulder. “I just like messing with him. It also would have been convenient if he had known where Bergnya is. It does bother me that she’s here uninvited, but I’d rather keep it between us before jumping to conclusions as to _why_.”

“The priority is my crushing public victory over Lady Ellenstein,” Gonzalo said determinedly. He glanced at the ceiling and back tracked. “...After we find her safe. And alive. And preferably not with your uncle.”

“It’s a wonder you only have one friend~” Juven said condescendingly, putting a hand on his shoulder. Gonzalo plucked it off like a rotten banana peel. “Alright, remaining men. Most of the rooms on this floor are boring and full of art and science things. Which is why I’m brilliantly predicting we’ll find my uncle up here somewhere, hiding where he knows I won’t usually bother looking for him.”

“The Grand Duke’s library was closed for the evening, so the library’s second floor mezzanine and the art gallery are our best bet,” Balfey said excitedly. “The observatory also probably has all kinds of new equipment since the last time I was here…”

“Riveting,” Gonzalo said, yawning. “I’ll leave you to that. In the meantime, I shall check the art gallery so they can at least say there was actual art in there at some point.”

“I’m going to snoop in guest bedrooms,” Juven tried to say offhandedly as they were all diverging in their own directions, but Gonzalo and Balfey’s ears pricked and they turned to look at him with narrowed eyes.

“Why on Goddess’ green Earth would either of the people we’re looking for be in a room with exactly two very straight forward functions?” Gonzalo asked with a grating amount of danger in his tone.

“In case my Eyas miraculously came back into the building without me noticing and needs help undressing~” Juven said, like it was obvious. “...Or in case my uncle got drunk and fell asleep in an armoire.”

“You know neither of those things are plausible,” Gonzalo said accusingly. “I once saw your uncle half-heartedly accept a drinking challenge from Duke Olineaux. They both drank a fifth and he just kept reading a pocket book on Mandarian trade economics while Zoe laid on the floor and cried because he thought he was stuck on the ceiling and begged everyone to flip the mansion right side up again.”

“To be fair, my dad was like that after drinking half the bottle,” Balfey pointed out.

“Maybe I’m tired and want to take a nap then~” Juven said, sticking out his tongue and giving a defiant shrug.

“Doubtful. You don’t ease into tiredness. You’re a nosy bastard so you stay awake until your brain shuts down and Asteria has to carry you to your carriage,” Gonzalo sniffed.

Juven’s eyes widened and he flushed. “SHE DOES NOT. THAT WAS ONE TIME.”

Gonzalo was silent for a moment, then his eyes widened and he pointed his cane at Juven accusingly. “You think they’re together. It bothers you that neither of them told you they were coming together tonight and you can’t stand that you’re not 100% sure they’re not cumberplundering.”

“And you want to kiss my Captain with that mouth,” Juven said disgustedly. “I’m begging you to cease speaking for the rest of the evening.”

“You don’t want anyone else there if you catch them doing something inappropriate,” Gonzalo said incredulously. “This whole teamwork thing was a roux so you could do damage control and keep whoever was most likely to go searching for Magda within your scope. You, Sir, are an incredible, deceitful ass.”

“ _Or you fancy her_ ,” Balfey said, snapping his fingers and giving Juven a sly smile. “You’re _jealous_ of your _uncle_.”

“She’s practically my sister, you sick whelps,” Juven said, waving Balfey’s theory away like a bad odor. “She’s not my type anyway.” Juven dabbed at fake tears at the corners of his eyes and smiled. “We would make such a beautiful couple though.”

“I mean if the alternative is she becomes your _aunt_ ,” Gonzalo said with a smirk.

“What’s a pack of socially inclined bachelor’s doing on the floor designed for use of the brain?” Linglan asked smoothly, walking over to them and lifting the bottle of chardonnay to her lips. All three of the men froze.

“Ah...we were just...discussing which room of educational benefit to explore first?” Gonzalo said weakly, Juven giving him a hard stare.

“Mm-hm,” she responded doubtfully. She turned to Juven and asked, “Have you seen your hermit of an uncle, Viscount? I’ve been dying to ask him in person about the situation with Lady Ellenstein all evening but all I keep hearing are the same second-hand accounts.”

“Well I hate to disappoint you, my Lady, but I also have not seen him~” Juven said apologetically, radiating glittering light. “I'll tell him you’d like to request a personal audience with him, perhaps tomorrow?”

“My, my, you're so sure he'll be indisposed the rest of this evening?” Linglan said, Juven glancing sideways and sweating. “In that case, have you seen Lady Ellenstein anywhere?”

“I saw her earlier around dinner, but she was debating whether she might just go home. She did not feel well,” Balfey said, giving Linglan a casual look.

 _Nice one, Balfey_ , Juven and Gonzalo thought together, hoping that would get them off the hook.

“Hm. That’s interesting,” Linglan said in the distinct way one says something is interesting when it is about to blow a hole in the accountability of their company. “Lady Nyx just helped me with my drunk associate and she said she thought Lady Ellenstein might be in here somewhere. She and Lady Rincole just came in from the courtyard looking for her.”

 _Dammit, Nyx_ , all three of them thought simultaneously, faces sunken in.

“Wait, you said Nyx is in here and she doesn’t know where Lady Ellenstein is?” Juven said suddenly, trying to do the math in his head. He looked at Gonzalo with uncertainty. “We only told her to come back in if she needed to call a search party or if the bag was taken.”

“She was with Lady Rincole?” Gonzalo asked Linglan. She nodded.

“Neither of them seemed too worried about anything. Nyx said something about Rincole just hanging out by a weird shed she didn’t even know they had,” Linglan said with a shrug. She narrowed her eyes. “What’s this about a search party?”

All three men looked at each other wide eyed.

“Excuse us, Lady Linglan, but we need to go speak with Lady Rincole immediately,” Gonzalo said quickly, flipping his cape and leading his associates back towards the grand staircase. Linglan watched them go with a sour face.

“Che. Assholes. I finally thought something interesting might be happening and they ditch me,” she muttered. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement, and she turned her head to look.

“Ah! Tiny maid~” she cooed, prancing over to Motiti, who was carrying a tray with a bottle of tequila and a plate of sandwiches on it. Motiti grinned at her and spun once to show off her outfit.

“Ms. Speaker! Motiti has not seen you all night! I hoped you would come!” she said excitedly. “Motiti has a new maid dress! This one has pink tulle around the hem, sleeves and collar!”

“So cute~” Linglan practically sobbed, half due to her moderate amount of alcohol consumption. She stopped and frowned, then gave Motiti a reassuring smile. “Hey, Motiti. Which jerk made you walk all the way up here with a tray for them, huh? I’ll take the tequila there myself and punish them for making you come all the way up the stairs~”

Motiti suddenly looked nervous. “Um...that...Motiti is not supposed to say…” She paused in thought, then looked like she might cry. “Motiti was also not supposed to say that she was ‘not supposed to say’ if she was asked…”

Linglan’s suspicion alarms were all going off very loudly in her head, but when Motiti got worked up it was hard to coax her back down to a state of calm. She grinned, kneeling down so she was at her level.

“I’m sorry that I interrupted your important work, Motiti. If you come back downstairs later, I’ll give you some gold coins, okay?”

Motiti beamed, all traces of sadness now gone from her face. “Really? Ms. Speaker is so nice! I’ll get her an apple pie!”

“Ah, you may eat my piece for me,” Linglan said. “I’m not such a fan of sweets.”

Motiti squealed in delight and went on her merry way. Linglan watched her flounce until she had nearly reached the end of the hall, finished off her bottle of wine, and began following her at an inconspicuous distance.

\--

“I’m still concerned about you walking around with no shoes,” Barris reminded Magda, climbing into the hole and using the sunken statue to hold himself while he searched for solid ground. He didn’t have to feel around long; the hole was surprisingly shallow. It felt like damp Earth when he stepped down, but since it was dark out and he hadn’t brought a lamp, he didn’t know how much further he could move around before that changed.

He took a cautious step away from the statue, and the floor lit up with the same iridescent stones from the rose maze. They pulsed a path down a slanted tunnel.

“What do you see?” Magda asked, leaning over to see the dim light.

Barris squinted down the tunnel. “I think this leads to a place beneath the estate. Maybe some kind of cellar. In any case, it’s definitely been used recently…”

Magda climbed into his offered arms and joined him, both of them coming over to where he had seen the fresh shoe prints in the dirt.

“These look like they belong to someone who wears narrow shoes, probably boots,” Magda said quietly. “I do think I heard a woman with Lord Lou…”

He raised an eyebrow and looked at her. “You still want to investigate further?”

“I do,” she said excitedly. “This is the kind of intriguing situation I think every person dreams they’ll encounter someday…” She suddenly turned away in embarrassment. “I suppose that’s more of a childish fantasy.”

He gave her an amused look. “I don’t think you’re wrong. Some of the most interesting situations I’ve been in happened while I was briefly working as a constable in Rayorca. There were several man hunts that took us down into the sewers.”

Magda blinked at him, wide eyed. “You _what_?”

“Er, that’s probably a story for later,” he said quickly, blushing and waving the topic away. He turned to her and offered his arms again. “Here. I’ll carry you.”

“I...I can walk,” she said unconvincingly, knowing it was her own fault she hadn’t worn the shoes Nyx had brought her but really not keen on walking through mud.

“You can, but then your feet will be filthy and you’ll track onto everything.”

“They’re already dirty just standing here,” she argued. He shrugged indifferently and began walking down the pathway.

“Wait.”

Barris turned over his shoulder, giving Magda a tired look. She was pouting and fiddling with her hands.

“If...if it’s not too much trouble...maybe just for a little while…”

He gave her a small smile and lifted her up carefully with one hand underneath her knees and one under her back. She looked up at him as he began to walk and said, “Thank you, Mr. Barris. I know you didn’t really want to be down here in the first place…”

He sighed. “Admittedly, before you found this place, the idea of having an adventure beyond the kind I can find in talking about commerce with people I don’t know very well seemed a bit too daunting.”

“And now?” she asked.

His feet ceased walking and he raised his eyes to the low ceiling. “I am only human. When the opportunity presents itself to see where an intriguing path leads, I am obliged to explore it.  Law is the same way in how we try to create legislation that paves a smooth path for those directly affected by the changes it puts in place. And,” he said, smiling brilliantly at her, “if I can do something tonight that fixes the mess I’ve made for you, it will have been worth it.”

Magda turned red and looked out at the dark path before them. She didn’t want to get used to taking advantage of how unbothered Barris seemed to be carrying her, but she wasn’t sure she would’ve had the nerve to continue down the path if he hadn’t decided to come too.

After a few minutes of silent walking, they reached the end of the Earthen tunnel. Before them was a rusting wrought iron staircase winding up into a dark unknown. The two of them looked at each other, silently asking if the other person wanted to continue.

“It may lead right into The Grand Duke’s chambers,” Barris said with a teasing smile.

Magda giggled and said, “Or worse, Lord Lou’s chambers.”

“I suppose ‘worse’ is subjective in this case,” he said, placing her gently on the first step of the staircase. “I would prefer neither of those outcomes.”

“I guess there’s only one way to find out,” she said, looking him in the eye and grinning before turning to start her ascent. He watched for a moment, and then followed behind her cautiously.

The staircase was much longer than either of them expected. It was hard to figure out where they might be in relation to the structure of the estate, especially in pitch black darkness, but by the time Magda confirmed she saw an end, Barris figured they were somewhere near the third floor.

That floor was the one he was afraid it would lead to; it was where the Bavelenka family’s private wings and chambers were. The Grand Duke liked to say that the day a Bavlenka man couldn’t climb all the way to his bedroom was the day he stopped being the patriarch. Barris now understood why.

“We’re here,” Magda whispered back at him as he caught up to her. “I think I can hear a little bit of the music coming through…”

“What if we fall out of a closet or something?” Barris said, now allowing his worry he had buried to come up and bother him with all the ways this whole escapade could backfire. “Or we’re in a bathroom while someone’s using it?”

“No, I...I don’t think that’s it,” Magda said, confused by how far away the music sounded, even pressing her ear to the door. Without thinking twice, she dared to twist the handle and opened it a crack.

“...Well?” Barris said from behind her, anxiously looking for any kind of response so he could react in kind.

“Oh, Mr. Barris,” she said in a breathy tone, pushing the door open completely, “You absolutely have to see this…”

She didn’t sound upset, so Barris moved to look over her shoulder into where they had ended up. His own breath caught in his throat, and his eyes tried to take in everything he was seeing. Magda stepped through the door to allow him a better look.

They were now in a dimly lit corridor that extended from what seemed to be one end of the mansion to the other. On the walls were glowing, framed screens that shifted in oil slick colors, providing the only source of low light. Magda crossed to one of them and the screen shifted so she could see the inside of a room. It was dark in the room, but she could make out the shapes of an armoire, some chairs, end tables, and directly below where she stood, a bed.

“ _Goddess_ ,” Barris mused incredulously, coming up behind her. “These...these are _enchanted_. The Bavlenka’s have enchanted paintings to act as one sided viewing glass…”

“Is that all?” Magda wondered, reaching her hand out to touch the scene. It disappeared on the other side of where the wall should have been. She and Barris saw it reappear in the bedroom, her fingers wriggling in confirmation that they weren’t seeing things. She brought it back out to her and squeezed it protectively with her other hand.

“How many of these are there?” Barris wondered aloud. “Are they in every room? Does it cover multiple floors?”

“I still hear the music,” Magda said, moving past more frames as she padded down the long corridor. On either side, new scenes and new rooms were revealed when they came near them. Barris walked beside her, completely awestruck.

“What an ingenious system,” he went on, moving to look at a salon room filled with statues and luxurious seating. “One can move from room to room, and I’m guessing listen and watch an interaction without being detected...”

“There’s more stairs here,” Magda called to him, lifting her skirt a bit and slowly starting her descent. They opened up into a smaller rectangular space, the music much louder now.

Magda paused to get her bearings before proceeding further. There were framed screens covering the walls on one side, images of guests in their finery filling them as they danced to something upbeat. Barris watched her move to stand in the middle of the room.

“It’s the Grand Ballroom,” Magda said wistfully, her blue eyes glowing. She twirled in front of the screen, delighted by the idea that she could do as she pleased from here with no one noticing.

The music faded to something slow and heartfelt. She recognized it as the song she had thought of before, the one that Mr. Willow would sing later in evenings as people were beginning to think about leaving. Barris watched her dance on her own and he smiled.

“You seem to like this song,” he said, stepping towards her and glancing at the screens.

“I always wish that I could dance to this one, but Mr. Willow usually saves it for when I’m already preparing to leave,” she replied with regret in her voice, realizing now that it must be later than she had thought.

She felt a hand slip to her waist, Barris cutting in and gently taking her hand. It felt more grounding to have a partner, but sharing rhythm with someone else also exacerbated how tired she was. Their dance melted into short swaying, both of them indifferent to anything happening on the screens. Magda rested her head on Barris’ chest, not so sure she wouldn’t fall asleep. He opened his mouth to say something witty, and decided in the end to say nothing.

“You know,” she said softly into his shirt, “my mother told me you’re the only man she’d allow me out for midnight tea with.”

Barris raised his eyebrows and looked down at her. “Well, let’s hope we get you home in time so we don’t have to test that theory. I’m looking forward to my reward for following you down into this haunted Bavlenka nightmare-scape.”

Magda laughed a little, lifting her head from his chest. They stared into each other’s eyes unflinchingly as they continued to turn in the same small circle, the music eventually fading in the ballroom. She felt the pulling sensation again and watched the space between their faces grow smaller…

“Lady Ellenstein,” Barris murmured when he was near enough that she could see the specks of gold in his green eyes, “...I...I…”

She reached one shy hand up to touch his face, and-

_“Lady Ellenstein? Are you somewhere down here? I’m here to help you...”_

Barris and Magda froze, Barbalius’ distant voice echoing off the walls of the main corridor they had just come down from.

_“Quiet down, Golden Boy. Just because you got here first does NOT mean you’re the leader of the group…”_

_“Goddess, these enchanted paintings are ghastly. All this time I could’ve been watched by someone while minding my own business, rendezvous-ing with a beautiful lady…”_

_“Awww, the biscuit I was saving fell out of my pocket on the staircase…”_

“They brought the whole damn cavalry after us,” Barris whispered urgently. “We need to leave.”

Magda nodded and they ran as quietly as they could up the staircase on the opposite side of the room. Predictably, it simply brought them to the same corridor they been in, but on the opposite end. They listened for their rescuers to see if they would check down the opposing stairwell.

“We’ll run through the screen directly across from us when they’ve gone down,” Barris whispered to her, gently pulling on her hand to make sure she was ready to follow him.

“Do we know where that will lead us, though?” she asked hesitantly. He shook his head.

“As long as it’s empty, we’ll be fine.”

“And if it’s not?” she asked, peeking out to watch Gonzalo, Barbalius, Juven, and Balfey all begin their curious descent down the staircase leading to the Grand Ballroom’s corridor.

“I suppose we’ll see,” he said, guiding her quickly over the short, carpeted distance from the stairs to the screen, and lifting her into his arms before they leaped completely through.

\--

“Gosh, Motiti is so clumsy,” Motiti mumbled to herself, Linglan watching her struggle to reach down and grab the key she had dropped while maintaining the balance of her tray. It was taking a lot of restraint not to come up behind her and offer some help.

“There~” she said adorably, replacing the key in her apron pocket once she had finished unlocking the door. She tottered through with the tray, almost falling three different times.

 _Now leave the door ajar_ , Linglan begged in her mind, biting her lip and staring from behind a corner. Her wish was granted, and Motiti continued onward while leaving the door wide open behind her. Linglan scanned around her quickly, then booked it in her high heels until she reached the door. She ditched her shoes before quietly entering the much smaller space behind the door and closing it.

Immediately behind Linglan was a long, dark staircase lit with candles beneath blown glass that cast a red light. Motiti could be heard humming at the top and quickly distancing herself. Once she had finally reached the top, Linglan had to pause to catch her breath.

_Motiti’s a spry one..._

The walls to her left were covered in solid gold decorations, ornate cabinets full of priceless art were on full display, and gorgeous furniture that had clearly been shipped from Mandaria sat in a quaint nook to her right. Bookcases containing things written in languages she didn’t know filled the spaces between the furniture, and there was a large window looking directly out to the vast expanse of acreage behind the Bavlenka estate.

And above an intimidating stone fireplace, staring down with disdain at her, was an enormous portrait of Lou Bavlenka.

Linglan paled, realizing she very well could be inside one of the Bavlenka family’s private chambers. She had been a drunk, nosy bitch for a few minutes and now there was a real possibility she could die tonight.

\--

“There is something truly wrong with this family,” Gonzalo said, wrinkling his nose as their party of four stared at the screens depicting the happenings in the Grand Ballroom.

“You can’t deny that having a secret escape corridor is very intriguing~” Juven said, hands in his pockets. “This mansion is so old...the idea that this has been here this whole time and none of us knew anything about it is very impressive~”

“Bergnya’s tracks ended at the staircase, as well as the men’s pair of shoes,” Barbalius said. “So perhaps we can assume she and your uncle were down here at some point…”

“Maybe they both killed Lady Ellenstein and carried her body down here,” Balfey offered, earning three looks of annoyance.

“You said Lady Ellenstein was without shoes after dinner?” Barbalius asked Juven.

“Yes, but Lady Nyx gave her another pair to wear in the bag,” Juven replied, moving towards the second staircase. “I can’t imagine she’d go barefoot.”

“Perhaps she’s injured,” Gonzalo said with a shrug, following behind. “Your uncle’s such a weirdo he might figure bringing her down into this craggy walk-in closet was better than bringing her back to the same embarrassing fate as my sister.”

“While I disagree with his statement about Lady Lynna, Lord Gonzalo may have a point about Mr. Barris’ intentions,” Barbalius said from behind them, climbing the stairs. “I’ve always figured him to be an honorable man. He may be trying to find an alternative route to bringing her back inside through the front entrance…”

“Hold that thought,” Juven said suddenly, holding up a hand for all of them to come see what he was looking at.

At his feet, in front of the screen across from the stairs, sat a piece of a sleeve from Magda’s bolero.

\--

Barris clutched Magda to him, heart pounding rapidly as they hid in the massive shower of a luxurious bathroom. They looked at each other in horror when the eerie silence was broken by someone throwing themselves through the portal and landing on the marble floor around the corner.

“Eyas~ I know you're in here somewhere, my dear~”

 _Goddess in heaven, why'd it have to be this idiot_ , Barris thought with a cringe.

“Hurry up and scan the room you imbecile, it's too creepy to be standing out here alone,” Gonzalo whined, poking his head through the portal. Barbalius and Balfey joined his head and glared at him.

“Your lack of faith in my abilities will not sway me, Lord Gonzalo,” Barbalius said.

“What he said,” Balfey chimed in.

They were all silent when they heard a voice from behind the closed door at the top of a shallow staircase patterned after the ridges of a seashell.

Juven dove into the jacuzzi and his associates ducked back behind the painting of sirens dragging hopeless seafarers into the ocean.

The bathroom door swung open, Bergnya punching at a panel of tiles next to the door and scanning the now lit room with a contemptuous glare. She was dressed from head to toe in leather, wearing a mask that hid most of her face.

“Your estate is so bloody haunted,” she hollered into the room she had just come from. “I SWEAR I just heard people speaking…”

Lord Lou’s voice answered from the other room and Bergnya rolled her eyes.

“You won’t be so rude by the time I'm done with you,” she said harshly, punching the lights off and slamming the door back in place.

Juven rose from the jacuzzi waters, struggling to keep his near-drowning as quiet as possible and failing miserably.

Gonzalo popped his head back through, eyes wide. “ _Holy shit_ ,” he said, voice quietly quivering. “Bergnya’s taken Lord Lou _hostage_ . Juven, _get out of there_.”

“Huh?” Juven said weakly, crawling on all fours to the painting.

“While there are several things still unclear about this situation, I can’t think of a way it might be permissible for Bergnya to speak to Lord Lou that way,” Barbalius whispered incredulously, his head joining them.

“Perhaps Lord Lou invited her in to discuss something different and that sister turned on her,” Balfey said, eyes concentrated in thought. “Though, it'd be hard to subjugate Lord Lou...unless…” Balfey gulped, everyone waiting on his explanation intently, “... _Bergnya cut her hands off_ …”

“ _Goddess_ ,” Gonzalo sobbed.

“Aren’t you a _mage_ , you great, flightless _bird_ ?” Juven sputtered, sitting and coughing quietly. “ _Go save her_.”

“NOBODY is cutting THESE hands off _today_.”

\--

Magda and Barris stood in the shower, steam now pouring out from vents in the walls and engulfing them in a humidified hell.

 _Bergnya must've pushed a button when she turned the lights on_ , Magda thought miserably, huffing and fanning herself lightly. She glanced over at Barris and was taken aback.

His shirt was beginning to cling to his body with moisture and he reached one arm up to smooth his damp hair away from his knitted brow. He glanced back at her, struggling to catch his breath, and she looked away while blaming her body's warmth on their predicament.

\--

Linglan watched from behind a couch as Motiti skipped back through the sitting area and headed back down the candle lit stairs without her tray, singing ‘apple pie, apple pie’ over and over again. She crept down the corridor she had appeared from, berating herself for not just leaving while she was able to.

But, between investigating why Lord Lou might have shut herself off from the public on the most social evening of the year and investigating which bathroom Kelly was retching in, she decided one might afford her better conversational clout in the future than the other. Granted she live to converse another day.

 _I’ve already come this far_ , she figured, rounding a corner and spying the tray on the floor next to two large, ornate dark wood doors. Her body flattened against the wall, stealthily side-stepping until she could lean against the door to listen.

She blinked in confused alarm when the first thing she heard was a muffled _‘thwap’_ and a feminine yelp.

“ _You...loud. Someone...and try...save...~_ ” another voice said, Linglan struggling to make out what was being said.

Lord Lou’s voice echoed, “ _...never...matter...beat me.._.”

There was a succession of ‘ _thwap_ ’s with matching cries, and Linglan suddenly wondered if she hadn’t stumbled upon a situation beyond her handling capability.

“LINGLAN! ARE YOU UP HERE?! I HAVE TO SHOW YOU THESE SHOES I FOUND, THEY LOOK _JUST_ LIKE _YOURS_ ! NOW WE CAN _MATCH_!”

Linglan’s face paled, Kelly’s voice accompanied down the hall by her clumsy, tramping feet and incessant giggling.

With her ear still to the door, she heard someone quickly moving to open it. Without a moment’s hesitation, she grabbed the bottle of tequila, smashed it against the wall, and-

\--

“SISTER LOU, WE’RE HERE TO RESCUE YOU!” Balfey screamed, brandishing the pin to his lapel rose as he and his three associates backed him up, bursting through the bathroom door. They had all agreed to have Balfey go in first because he truly believed Lou’s hands might be sawed off, and definitely not because he was a non-threatening buffer in case Lou didn’t actually need their help.

“What the hell is this?!” Bergnya scoffed, momentarily distracted from the noise that had come from behind the door. She was thrown to the floor when Linglan kicked it in, brandishing her tequila bottle shank and glancing around wild eyed.

“Are you the one torturing Lord Lou?” she asked, voice shaking while holding the bottle in front of her.

“Oh my _Goddess_ ,” Gonzalo said, blinking in abject horror at Lou and bringing a gloved hand up to cover his mouth. She was lying on an enormous bed, stark naked and face down with her hands tied. And she was _angry_.

“BERGNYA, FLIP ME OVER SO I CAN _KILL_ THESE _NITWITS_.”

“Okay, but say the safe word first so I know you’re not just yelling at me like that,” Bergnya groaned, giving Linglan a dirty look and hobbling away from her.

“ _IMPUNITY_ ,” Lou screeched, Bergnya moving to the bed to help her get the silks off.

“ _That's_ your safe word?” Juven asked, words dripping with a level of condescension too large for a man that proximal to his own mortality.

“ _Bergnya_ ,” Barbalius said, shaking his head with his mouth agape in disbelief. “How did this _happen_?!”

“Well, Barbalius, when two consenting adults-”

“BERGNYA.”

“Alright, alright, display your titties for everyone to see, the big secret’s out anyway,” she said begrudgingly, untying Lou completely.

Lou bounced and brought herself up to a standing position on the bed, hair frazzled and limbs splayed shamelessly. She raised her hands and got in a combat stance, blue eyes full of rage.

“You each have the privilege of final words. Balfey, we’ll start with you.”

Balfey immediately fainted. Juven stepped over his body, raising one hand like he had a question.

“Before you kill us, have you seen my uncle?”

“You sure you want that to be the last thing that comes out of your mouth before you die?” Lou asked dangerously.

“Is this a _naked_ party?” Kelly asked excitedly, tottering inside the room to stand behind Linglan. “I hope nobody really liked that vase by the fireplace because I definitely puked in it, just letting everyone know.”

“Lou, come down from there and put on a robe,” Bergnya pleaded playfully, patting at her leg. “The jig is up. Don’t kill anyone tonight.”

Lou lowered her arms, sighing heavily. “You idiots wouldn’t understand, but since it’s come to this, you’ve left me no choice…” She turned swiftly, looked at Bergnya, got down on one, naked knee, and presented her with an enormous princess cut emerald engagement ring. “Bergnya, dark flower of my life, will you marry me?”

“WHAT IS HAPPENING?!” Gonzalo shrieked, hands raking down his cheeks and eyes bulging out of their sockets.

“OH MY GOD I LOVE WEDDINGS,” Kelly sobbed, tears running down her own cheeks as she clung to Linglan. Linglan was deadpan and staring into space, still clutching her tequila bottle.

“ _Yes_!” Bergnya yelled, leaping onto the bed with Lou and tackling her in a kiss.

“Okay, but where was she keeping the ring...” Juven asked, an inquisitive hand under his chin.

\--

Barris and Magda laid in the grass just outside of the fountain tunnel entrance, panting from exertion. They had run the entire way back out when their pursuers had been distracted, and now both of them felt they may not be able to move one more step.

“That was _awful_ ,” Barris sputtered, just grateful for the cool evening breeze on his skin.

“We got lucky that they decided to go in and assist Lord Lou,” Magda gasped, crawling up to a sitting position. “I didn’t get my intel, though…”

Barris grinned in her direction. “I do have to admit...that was...a very _interesting_ evening. Not quite _fun_...but interesting.”

Magda grinned back, then her eyes rolled up and she lowered herself back to the grass, weak with exhaustion. Barris lifted her up into his arms, carrying her in the direction of the estate’s front entrance.

“Whatever am I going to tell your mother,” he muttered under his breath, as the Ellenstein groomsman caught sight of them and helped him to her carriage. He frowned, placing a blanket over her sleeping form. "And where the hell did I put my coat..."

\--

_**A/N** : More Lou/Bergnya please and thanks. _


	5. 5

**_A/N_ ** _ : Slowly embracing my life as a raccoon because I love garbage.  _

 

\--

Barris didn’t remember getting into bed, but he awoke the next morning still in his clothes, face pasted to the duvet with drool; apparently turning it down had seemed like too much of a hassle. As had removing his shoes. 

He slowly rolled up into a standing position, glaring at the light streaming in from the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows. The drapes were promptly drawn and he trudged across the dark expanse of floor to the bathroom. 

In spite of his disorientation, he remembered first and foremost he was to be at the Ellenstein estate today. For tea. And that was exciting. Because it was a prize. His prize tea. For helping Magda. There had been a tunnel and it had been dark and he had gone down with her. And he had carried her. And he had danced with her. And he had wanted her. And-

“Strike that from the record,” he mumbled out loud. He narrowed his blood shot eyes suspiciously at his own reflection.

The  _ tea _ . He wanted  _ tea _ . With her present. 

A dozen images of a corset, a shed, a shoe, blue eyes. A dirty dress and damp hair. Her hand on his cheek. 

_ Thank you, Barris. _

He stared past the mirror, things trickling in and gradually pressurizing into an unmanageable spray of emotion bound to eventually break the levy of indifference. His finger dabbed absent-mindedly at a red bed wrinkle imprinted under his auburn stubble. 

“We’re in some shit, Minister,” he muttered to himself.

\--

“ _ Magda _ .”

Magda blinked her half lidded eyes, vision distorted by eyelashes that still had leftover mascara on them.

“Mom?”

Eliza Ellenstein stood over her daughter, bug eyed and practically purple, like she had resolved not to breathe until Magda had acknowledged her. 

“ _ Whatisthis _ ?” she hissed, one hand holding up what looked like a newspaper and her other hand chopping at what was probably the pertinent information. All Magda saw was a block of gray.

Her stomach flipped when she realized it may have something to do with the ball. And her. With Barris. She immediately jack knifed up from her pillow and stared at the newspaper, fully prepared to feint a faint if it were bad enough. 

She blinked in confusion, the headline on the newspaper a succession of words she never in her lifetime would have been prepared to read. 

“Lord Lou...is getting  _ married _ ?” she said out loud. 

Eliza lifted her arms to the ceiling and stared at her daughter. “YOU WERE THERE, CHILD. WHAT A DETAIL TO FORGET.”

“I don’t remember  _ anyone  _ announcing an  _ engagement _ .”

“THE ENGAGEMENT ITSELF IS HARDLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART,” Eliza shrieked, throwing the paper down in front of her. Magda scanned the article underneath the headline, eyes expanding in surprise as she read on.

“ _ BERGNYA _ ?!”

“A  _ HEDGE  _ KNIGHT,” Eliza sobbed, putting a hand to her forehead. “PRACTICALLY A STITCH AWAY FROM A  _ PEASANT _ .”

Magda stared at her mother. “You seem to be taking this very personally.”

“WITH THIS MANY  _ LEVELS  _ OF  _ SCANDAL  _ ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, NO ONE WILL EVEN CARE TO  _ MENTION  _ BARRIS SAKAN’S BUDDING INTEREST IN TAKING YOU AS A WIFE IN CASUAL CONVERSATION,” Eliza lamented loudly, flailing into Magda’s closet and flinging undergarments every which way. “YOUR COURTSHIP WOULD HAVE HELD THE ENVIOUS GAZE OF EVERY YOUNG NOBLE LADY IN FINSEL, BUT NOW THAT LORD LOU HAS GONE AND FORSAKEN THE BAVLENKA NAME FOR  _ LOVE _ , THAT IS  _ ALL  _ ANYONE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT FOR  _ MONTHS _ .” 

“Ah,” Magda said in a monotone. “That is...a shame.”

“ _ It is _ ,” Eliza insisted much more quietly for effect, poking her head back out. “When I received word he had whisked you out onto the dance floor the moment you arrived, I could hardly  _ believe  _ it. And now it’s second rate  _ gossip _ . The  _ only  _ thing that could make this  _ worse  _ is if you had given him some kind of  _ strong  _ indication that you might  _ reciprocate  _ an interest.”

Magda’s mind jogged through the various instances where Barris Sakan had obtained token’s signifying her romantic vulnerability, however unintentional, and her mouth pinched into a thin line. “Yes. That would be tragic.” She pushed a bit of hair behind her ear, prying offhandedly, “Praytell, mother...what exactly makes you think he has interest in pursuing... _ marriage _ ? While I understand a lady’s first dance is precious, it’s hardly cause to believe he’d be interested in a long term commitment...especially someone so astute...and me being so new to the social circle...”

Eliza narrowed her eyes at her. “You apparently took such poor care of yourself that at some point in the evening Lady Nyx had to help you completely re-dress. If that weren’t enough, Mr. Barris had to carry you in from the carriage at an incredibly late hour and up to your room because you had passed out from exhaustion.”

Magda’s face began burning with the thought of Barris being in her room. Seeing her  _ bed _ .  _ Carrying  _ her to her bed. Where she  _ slept _ . 

“And  _ then  _ he asked me what time he could come for tea today,” Eliza added, nostrils flaring. “Didn’t ask  _ if  _ he could come, asked  _ what time _ . Typical Sakan man, however upright he may be compared to the others.”

For whatever reason, this information pleased Magda. She moved so she was sitting on the side of the bed and shrugged indifferently.  “...What time did you tell him to arrive?” she asked.

Eliza’s face squinched with distaste. “To an eligible lady, a gentleman’s comings and goings matter not. We will dress you as we normally do and treat this social call as something completely mundane. We can’t have him thinking you don’t have other options.”

_ He’s the one who made sure I do _ , Magda noted to herself with a bit of disappointment, eyes glancing through her window at the trees. 

“Madam,” the maid called weakly from the stairs, “there’s more gentlemen here for the Miss. I keep telling them they have to make an appointment with you since she’s so popular now…”

Eliza tilted her head slightly and cracked her neck. “I’ll deal with these fools. You find something simple and demure to wear, and use a bar of the rose scented soap to wash.”

\--

Barris peeked down the hall outside of his bedroom, quickly scanning to make sure no one was lurking outside. He adjusted the collar of his shirt and his sleeves, hair still wet and curling from bathing. 

It was a rare occasion when he forgot why typical Sakan spontaneity wasn’t a color in his palette, and it usually resulted in him making a social commitment without considering what he had time for relative to the amount of work he had to do. 

He went to flip the switch to turn on the lights to the library, and he stopped. Through drooping bangs, he scanned the dark shelves looking for whatever was making the hair on his arms stand on end. 

“Asteria?” he called, flipping the switch and slowly walking into what felt like a trap. “You know I hate it when you just hang out in here with the lights off. It’s creepy.”

His feet took him into his study, the tall, wheeled office chair behind his desk turning around until he could see who was occupying it. 

“Hello, uncle,” Barbara greeted him, fingers bent in a contemplative pattern over her chest and enough mischief in her voice that Barris immediately knew he had made a mistake in not turning around and leaving. “ _ Fancy seeing you here _ .”

“This is my office, Barbara.”

“So it is.” 

They stared at each other intensely, Barris now noticing the bulk of his coat engulfing her tiny figure.

“I see you’ve found my coat,” he said.

“Yes, it seems I have,” she answered, raising an eyebrow. 

They continued their stare off.

“Barbara, I have work to do, so if you’d be so kind as to leave the coat here and go occupy yourself with something frivolous, I would appreciate it.”

“As much as I’d love to, uncle, I’m afraid I can’t comply,” she said, feigning regret. “Not until you listen to this incredible story I have to tell you.”

Barris crossed his arms. “Make it quick.”

“I was chatting with Mr. Alan after you crushed his tender heart and stole the opportunity to dance with Magda first this past evening,” she started. “After convincing him to loosen up a little and drink more than two drinks, we were having ourselves a rollicking good time.”

“Approach a relevant point or I’m leaving,” Barris grunted, ignoring the jab. 

“Our fun was interrupted when Mr. Barbalius approached us and asked if we might have seen our dear Magda,” she continued. “‘No we have not,’ we said, and then he continued to tell us that he thought she might be with  _ you _ . ‘Preposterous!’ I said, because I hadn’t seen either of you in a very long time, and since I happen to know there are only two conversation topics that hold your attention for more than thirty seconds and Magda knows nothing about either one, it didn't seem possible that your absences could be relative. But, Alan insisted we accompany Barbalius in the garden to look for her.” She paused for affect. “And do you know what I found, uncle?”

“...The lung capacity that makes you capable of presenting such long winded stories in one breath?” he offered.

“No,” she said, holding up one index finger. “ _ I found your coat _ .”

“Which we've already established.”

“I found your coat beside a fountain basin with a strangely sunken statue in it,” Barbara said, “and I would have investigated the hole with Barbalius had Alan not begun to feel ill and required an escort.”

“I’m not sure I follow you,” Barris said, narrowing his eyes. “I set my coat down on a fountain basin while taking a casual stroll in the maze. It was dreadfully warm inside. I don’t remember anything particularly memorable about the fountain, though.”

“Well, then maybe you’d like to see the _other_. _Thing_. _I._ _Found_ ,” she asked with exaggerated articulation towards the end, reaching into the space under his desk where legs were supposed to go and producing Nyx’s bag full of Magda’s abandoned clothing. 

Barbara lobbed the bag in Barris’ direction. He glanced at it, apparently undaunted.

“A rather haphazard storage solution,” Barris remarked, glancing up at her. “You should take better care of your dresses.”

Barbara smacked her hands on his desk. “YOU KNOW DAMN WELL THAT’S MAGDA’S DRESS THAT SHE WORE LAST NIGHT.” 

Barris rubbed at his neck with one hand, feigning boredom. “Is it? I only saw her for the one dance, so I don’t remember very well…”

“ _ Is that why your coat is covered in the same dust caking that shed’s floor _ ?” Barbara challenged, sneering and holding the coat with one fist. “And I found  _ this _ ,” she proclaimed, pinching a piece of long blonde hair between two fingers, “ _ all over it as well. _ ”

“Circumstantial evidence isn’t enough to make this something worth the time, Barbara,” Barris said calmly, walking over and leaning over the desk to look her in the eye. “I don’t know where Lady Ellenstein was last night after we parted ways. Now,  _ get out of my chair _ .”

“ _ You sly bastard _ ,” Barbara whispered, shaking her head slowly. “You think you’ve won but you just  _ watch _ . I  _ know  _ you were with Magda, I  _ know  _ you were in that shed, and I  _ know  _ you were down in that hole.  _ This. Isn’t. Over _ .” 

She pushed herself out from behind the desk, dropped the coat on the chair, and stalked out of the library, glowering at Barris through the entire process. He stood with his hands in his pockets, looking at the bag full of Magda’s clothing. He sighed, then moved to pick up his coat from off the chair.

His heart dropped when he patted the coat’s pockets, then felt around inside them, and came up with nothing.

“...Interesting.”

“GODDESS, ASTERIA,” Barris burst out, steadying himself against the desk after having a near heart attack. “HOW LONG HAVE YOU  _ BEEN  _ THERE.”

“Long enough to know these are important,” she said, the handkerchiefs in one of her hands and Magda’s shoe in the other as she sauntered out from behind a bookcase. “So Barbara wasn’t wrong.”

“Where did you get those?” he asked, eyeing her carefully.

“I had to carry Barabara to her carriage last night,” Asteria said, shrugging. “After her stint with Alan in the garden she came back into the mansion and passed out next to me while I talked with Lady Vicky. She was wearing your coat. I didn’t question it.”

“Ah, that explains it,” he said, laughing nervously, a bit of sweat appearing on his forehead. “I thank you for returning those to me…” He held his hand out to receive his items and Asteria pulled them back towards her a bit, raising an eyebrow. 

“Juven was distressed when he arrived home last night because he had been looking for you and Lady Ellenstein…” she mused. “He was conflicted over whether he thought your disappearances were...coordinated.”

“Well, everyone can stop worrying because they absolutely weren’t,” he assured her quickly, irritation audible in his voice. Asteria raised her other eyebrow to match the first.

“You are in possession of a large quantity of her personal items,” she challenged. “I heard that before Lord Lou proposed, the gossip of the night was how you had taken the liberty of guiding her onto the dance floor without thought for etiquette. Quite a bold move for you, Little Barris.”

Barris froze in disbelief. “Lord Lou...what?”

“Juven was present for her Earth-shatteringly scandalous proposal to that hedge knight who sometimes accompanies Mr. Barbalius to functions. Apparently they’ve been seeing each other.”

“Ah...I suppose...I should send her a gift in congratulation, then…”

“Think carefully about that,” Asteria advised him. “The Grand Duke is livid. I heard he fired his entire house staff this morning. Though I can’t see how him not noticing her relationship is anyone else’s fault.”

Barris frowned. “That’s...horrible.”

“I suppose,” she said, twirling Magda’s shoe on one finger. “Maybe it would help us both feel better about this if you disclosed to me more information about your relationship with Lady Ellenstein.”

He scowled at her. “There’s nothing to disclose. My possession of those items is purely coincidental, and I was planning on returning them today.”

Asteria lifted her chin a bit. “You’re going out on a social call to her house? While in the middle of drafting your presentation for the council?”

“Don’t pretend to take interest in my work just so you can use it against me when it’s convenient for you.”

“Surely you know that I can tell by the sheer fact you’re still here talking to me about it that you care for her,” she said flatly, Barris glancing away and blushing defiantly. “You’re decades too young to fool me on a matter of this sort.”

“ _ Fine _ ,” he whispered fiercely. “There was a series of circumstances last night that pulled us into each other’s company, and for her sake, I’d like you to keep that information to  _ yourself _ . Juven and Barbara aren’t privy to it because they’ll make too much out of it.”

“So did you dream about her supple form as you succumbed to slumber?” Asteria pried in a completely neutral tone. 

“Aaaand I’m already regretting this. I think today will be a good day to do my work in my room,” he decided out loud, using a key to unlock drawers and piling files into his arms. “Enjoy the day, Asteria.”

“Are you aware that if you get married, her initials will be ‘MS’ so she’ll literally be Ms. MS?”

“ _ Good day, Asteria _ .”

“You forgot your token’s of fornication,” Asteria called, Barris stalking over to collect the shoe, handkerchiefs, and his coat in his already overflowing arms. 

“Hurry and marry her before your testicles become ineffectual,” she called even more loudly as he practically ran out of the room.

“I hate it in this house,” he muttered to himself, backing out of the library with his mountain of stuff and kicking the door shut.

“Greetings, Mr. Barris.”

Barris froze, turning his head so he could look over his shoulder. “Lord...Lou?”

Lou narrowed her eyes. “I see you’re having an articulate morning. I need to speak with you. Alone. Now.”

Barris ushered Lou into his room and locked the door behind them, her staring at him with crossed arms as he threw his pile onto the bed. He sauntered over to stand before her, extending his hand and offering a genuine smile.

“I suppose congratulations are in order, Lord Lou.”

Lou grabbed his hand hesitantly and shook it. “Thank you, Mr. Barris. Not many of those within the social circle are willing to make a decision about how they feel about my engagement while my father fumes so openly,” she remarked. “It's actually what I've come to speak with you about.”

“We can schedule a time to discuss the legalities of how this affects your inheritance and draft a contract you and Bergnya can look over together before signing,” Barris reassured her. “I will need to speak with your father as well.”

Lou raised an eyebrow. “I guess I expected you to be less receptive to our union.”

Barris blinked. “Begging your pardon, my Lord. I'm not sure what you mean.”

“On several of the occasions where you've actually showed up to a ball, your opinion has consistently been that nobility should respect the decisions of parents involved in marriage.”

Barris shrugged. “That's a viewpoint I've kept largely for myself and my own situation. I wouldn't take pleasure in watching two people with genuine feelings for each other be torn apart, but if a neutral party like myself were asked to marry for situational benefit, I doubt it would surprise anyone.”

Lou smirked. “Hmm. Would it surprise you if I told you I've heard several rumors questioning your neutrality?”

Barris closed his eyes. “It wouldn’t, but I would appreciate it if you didn’t elaborate.”

“Then I shan't,” Lou said simply, moving her bangs behind an ear. “I have one more matter to discuss with you that doesn’t necessarily involve my father. I’ve come to ask you if you might officiate our wedding.”

Barris’ eyes widened with surprise. “Though that would be an incredible honor for me, wouldn’t the officiating of a wedding for a Bavlenka be most suitably done through the Church? Cleric Pan is an incredibly moving speaker.”

Lou looked at the floor. “Bergnya and I don’t want to go through the Church. I actually went to Cleric Pan early this morning to ask for his advice on the matter, and he agrees that while the Church is a sacred entity with a noble cause, it is still largely built on top of bureaucracy. My father is one of their largest financial supporters. He could destroy Cleric Pan’s career if he meddled in my affairs, directly or indirectly.”

Barris’ eyes softened. “Cleric Pan is a good man. I know in his heart he would love to help you, but in this case he’s not wrong to tread lightly on the matter. It was only recently that it became a much easier process for nobles to marry those of a lower class.” He smiled. “In any case, it won’t be considered meddling by those supporting you as long as they know you’re happy.”

Lou gave him a sharp look. “That line suits someone more like Juven. Just what kind of paradigm shift has Magda put you through?”

Barris’ face flushed and he squeezed his eyes shut. “I  _ believe  _ you were asking me for a favor.”

“So will you do it?” Lou asked carefully. 

“...I will,” Barris decided after a small pause. “I helped draft that law. If I can’t act on my word, then I’m not fit to be Minister of Justice.”

He held out his hand again, and Lou grasped it firmly. 

She smiled with relief and said, “You’re doing me a service I don’t think I can properly thank you for using words, Barris. I love this person with my entire being. I would annihilate legions for her.”

Barris sweated nervously. “I’m...very happy for you both.”

Lou turned to exit the room, then turned over her shoulder. “Magda has a gift for effortlessly revealing vulnerability in an individual, and it makes her fragile and indestructible simultaneously. Please use the same care and courtesy you use in your work with her, and then some.” 

He opened his mouth to correct her, but she was already closing the door. She ignored his garbled reply and said as an afterthought, “Oh, and, we’re getting married this coming weekend, so you’ll have your invitations for the engagement party, the shower, the rehearsal dinner, the wedding itself, and the day after brunch by the end of today.” 

Barris stared at the closed door, then glanced at his pile on the bed. 

“Surely she doesn’t expect me to just drop everything for a week to idly stand around with champagne and reminisce on Finsel’s most historically pompous weddings with every person in the country who won’t appreciate my take…” he muttered, rifling through files full of his own notes and placing them in an organized pile. 

Juven kicked in his bedroom door without warning, hair free and static around his head, and pointed at Barris with an accusatory finger. 

“NOW THAT I’VE SLEPT AND AM NOW REFRESHED FROM MY ORDEAL LAST NIGHT, I HAVE THINGS TO ASK YO-” he hollered before a flying pillow smacked him in the face. 

Barris wordlessly stepped over his fallen form and exited the room as his nephew groaned on the floor, the decision to hole up in his work office for the day being made for him. 

\--

“Everyone make way or I’ll  _ make  _ a  _ way _ ,” Gonzalo threatened loudly, stepping from his carriage and walking up the Ellenstein’s walkway.

It was blocked by a flock of men, all notably wealthy and esteemed, holding everything from flower bouquets to expensive gifting eggs brought from the spire. Some were practicing reciting poetry, others tuned instruments to prepare for a serenade. Gonzalo parted them all until he was nearly to the door, suddenly body blocked by an all too familiar figure. 

“Nice of you to join the fray, Lord Gonzalo,” Barblius greeted him with icy politeness. “The line starts back that way,” he informed him, using the arm not engulfed in a bouquet of roses to point to where Gonzalo had come from. “Lady Ellenstein’s mother has already booked appointments up into next week, by the way.”

“I may have hallucinated it, but it sounded a  _ bit  _ like you just attempted to tell me what to do,” Gonzalo said through a disbelieving chuckle, sashaying past Barbalius and the maid standing at the door with a scheduling book. He knocked loudly on the door as a chorus of protests erupted behind him. 

Eliza poked her head out from behind the door, eyes looking at him suspiciously from behind her spectacles. 

“Lord Gonzalo. We weren’t expecting you. My daughter is currently indisposed so you may leave any urgent messages with me.”

Gonzalo swept a dusting of charm over his face with a flourishing hand, and bowed. 

“Lady Eliza, you are looking radiant this afternoon.”

“Flattery is for the young to indulge in,” she said curtly. “Speak your piece.”

“It is urgent that I speak to your daughter as soon as possible on a...personal matter,” Gonzalo said, batting his eyelashes and flipping his bangs away from his face. “She is my most trusted confidante, and I take her opinion on private matters very seriously.”

Eliza blinked and blushed a bit. “I had no idea your grace held my Magda’s companionship so dearly.”

Barbalius glared at Gonzalo, muttering, “You’re so full of-”

“-Love for your daughter comes so easily,” Gonzalo cooed. “Even if I were allowed to visit with her for a few moments, I would be deeply and eternally appreciative.” 

Eliza shook her head. “While it eases my heart that my daughter has made such an enduring friendship with your grace, she is already expecting someone this afternoon. If you like, I shall ask a servant to bring a personal invitation to your residence for afternoon tea sometime this week.”

Gonzalo’s eye twitched, the charm slipping from his face. Through gritted teeth, he asked, “ _ Who _ , may I  _ ask _ , has precedence over myself?”

Eliza raised an eyebrow. “If you must know, Mr. Barris requested an afternoon audience with my daughter last evening.”

Dejection swept over Gonzalo’s face to replace all of the charm, deep shadows forming under his eyes. “Please tell me you accommodated for a nap immediately after he leaves.”

Eliza gave him an unamused look. “Magda seems to anticipate his arrival with relative enthusiasm. I will tell her you dropped by.”

She shut the door on him and Gonzalo stood there dumbfounded, Barbalius too crestfallen with the explanation for their wait to bask in their mutual rejection.  

“Magda Ellenstein, you really are full of surprises,” Gonzalo mused to himself, his mood immediately shifted and his glow revamped. “If I had a rival with more predictable taste in men I suppose our friendship wouldn’t be as interesting.”

“You’re okay with it, just like that…” Barbalius muttered, watching Gonzalo practically dance back down the walkway. Gonzalo turned and smirked at him.

“So long as she isn’t interested in who I have  _ my  _ eye on, I can forgive her for keeping some things a secret~” he said cheerfully, winking. 

Everyone watched an Olineaux carriage turn into the property, Balfey emerging with a bouquet of roses and blinking in confusion at the line. 

“...Should I just come back later?”

Everyone then turned to watch an unmarked carriage turn into the property, a man dressed in elegant business attire emerging from it. He seemed undaunted by the line, and wordlessly proceeded to the front with an elegantly wrapped gift box. 

“I work under Mr. Barris on staff at the Ministry,” he told the maid. “He sent me to give this to Lady Ellenstein.”

The men in line gasped in unison as the maid knocked on the door. Magda answered this time, her face expectant.

“Is Mr. Barris here?” she asked, glancing around. 

“The Minister sends his sincerest apologies, my Lady. An urgent matter has come up and he is unable to attend afternoon tea with you.” The man handed her the gift box, Magda taking it hesitantly.

“Has Mr. Barris come?” Eliza asked from behind Magda, surveying the line of men.

Tension gripped like lightning at Gonzalo, Barbalius, and Balfey's hearts as they watched the light leave Magda’s eyes, the gift she unwrapped clearly kindling some unspoken sentimentality. 

“Aren’t those the shoes you wore last night?” Eliza commented. Magda nodded slowly.

“I ruined my shoes last night and Mr. Barris offered to have them repaired,” she said in a wistful monotone. “...Mr. Barris...is so kind...” 

She reached inside the box again and pulled out her three handkerchiefs, all pristine and folded neatly.

“ _ THREE _ ?!” Eliza shrieked, bringing a shocked hand to her mouth.

The men in line watched, feeling varying degrees of horror, as Magda took one last saddened look at the box and turned to disappear inside. 

“Oh no no no no  _ no _ ,” Gonzalo quavered under his breath, eyes wide with sympathy as he came a bit back up the walkway. Small, dramatic tears formed at the corners of his eyes. “Don’t tell me she was eagerly awaiting that walking carpet swatch…”

“How  _ heartless _ ,” several men in line cried, broken down by the dejected look on Lady Ellenstein’s face. “To cancel on a lady in such a way...after requesting the meeting  _ himself _ …”

Eliza stood in the doorway, still in shock. When she recovered, her own eyes reflected thoughtfully and she bowed to the visitors on her doorstep.

“Please excuse us, gentlemen. We bid you good evening.”  

\--

Shadows played over the walls of Barris’ office, the lights on dim to accommodate for his developing headache. Papers were strewn in every corner of the room, there was more than one empty mug on the desk, and he paced from one end of the room to the other with a pen in his mouth to abate the grinding of his teeth. 

_ “I apologize for the sudden intrusion, Mr. Barris,” Harson said solemnly. “I didn’t really know who else to speak to on this matter...” _

_ Snap _ . 

Barris wrenched the pen away from the top still gripped in his teeth, and whipped a new sheet of paper up from off of his desk, walking over to the wall and scribbling until gravity dried the tip of ink. 

_ “I am the only one the Grand Duke kept on staff,” Harson continued, a cup of tea shaking gently in his hand. “Many of the men and women who lost their jobs were people I’ve known for years. They were dependent on a steady income in an environment they were accustomed to. There is work in the servant’s lodges, but it can become competitive, and tips are not as predictable as a salary.” _

“...the entitlement’s...of...the terminated… _ shit _ ,” Barris muttered aloud, thought derailed when he ripped a hole in the paper and had to start over. He got up and threw the pen at his desk, hands finding their place at his hips as he went back to pacing.

_ “Even Biggus,” he choked. “Troublesome as he is, and as well as I know he’ll fair wherever he goes...he was so upset by the Grand Duke’s outburst. I’ve never seen him so despondent.” _

“There must be sufficient proof of loss of property…”

“Individual investigations must be conducted…”

“Grievance over instances of abhorrent behavior must have more than one eye witness account…”

“Loss of property must be able to be physically calculated; damage or loss to be perceived situationally on basis of defamation of character must be investigated before…”

_ “This is Motiti,” Linglan said quietly, gesturing at the oren hiding behind her leg. “She lost her job with the Bavlenka’s and can’t live in the servant’s quarters anymore; she doesn’t have a place to stay.”  _

Barris chugged a vile of headache medicine and threw it in the trash, catching a glimpse of the clock on the wall and choosing to ignore it. 

_ “Well, it just so happens I’m in need of someone to help me run some errands this afternoon,” Barris said comfortingly, reaching down to offer a hand to Motiti. “Do you know the way to Miss Werchy’s design shop?” _

_ Motiti nodded, sniffing sadly with her ears still folded to the top of her head. Barris moved to bring Magda’s shoe from his coat pocket over to her.  _

_ “I’ve lost the match to this beautiful shoe, and I’ve promised a very lovely lady I would bring them to her today,” he said gently. “Can you ask Miss Werchy to make another match for me?” _

_ Motiti’s ears immediately pricked. “These are Lady Ellenstein’s! Her outfit was so lovely last evening…” Her smile morphed back into misery. “...oowoo...Motiti wishes she could see Lady Ellenstein right now…” _

Barris suddenly opened his eyes in panic, head jerking up from his desk with a puddle of drool soaking the corners of the first few pages of his draft. He taped them next to an air vent and glanced at the clock again, running both hands through his hair. 

_ “I wanted to ask you where you disappeared to last night, but it seems you were occupied,” Linglan said wryly. “I was honestly about to go ask Magda if she’d like to adopt Motiti on her staff...I’d do it myself but Giulolo gets antsy if she’s not the only oren in the house.” _

_ “No need,” Barris said evenly. “She can stay at the Sakan estate and work here.” _

_ “That’s very generous of you,” Linglan mused. “Are you doing this out of the kindness in your heart, or the guilt in your gut?” _

_ “You were the one who busted a hole in Lord Lou’s secret affair,” Barris pointed out. “I assume that’s why you’re out here peddling her like handicrafts.” _

_ Linglan sighed deeply. “I suppose if you hadn’t catalyzed a reason for Team Bachelor Disaster to go looking for you, I would’ve been alone in my endeavors and toasted by Lou on the spot.” _

_ “Nobody need worry about my whereabouts,” Barris assured her before turning back to his work. “I’ve got several responsibilities usually out of my control that do the job of repelling intimate relationships for me.”  _

“Sir?”

Barris slowly opened his eyes. The ceiling, awash with natural daylight coming in from the windows, looked back down at him. He turned his head to see his elderly secretary peeking in from behind the door, giving him a strange look from behind her spectacles. 

“Sir, did you spend the night here again?”

“Ah…” Barris said aloud, sitting up from the floor. “...I suppose so.”

She turned to look in the corner behind a bookshelf where the sound of steady snoring could be heard. “Sir, is that an oren?”

Barris narrowed his eyes in concentration, trying to remember the previous day’s swirl of events. “Yes, I think so.”

She asked in an irritated voice,  “Is it... _ supposed _ to be here?”

“ _ Yes _ ,” Barris grunted, using the side of his desk to help himself up off the floor. “But more  _ importantly _ , here is the first draft for a revision on the Employment Under Nobility Act. My proposal for the senate is underneath.” He steadied himself to standing, trying to ignore the noticeable drop in his blood pressure. “You can probably tell where one ends and the other begins by which pages are, for lack of a better word, disgusting.”

“Sir, I really think you should consider going home for a while,” she advised, carefully picking up the stack of papers with two wary fingers per hand and a look of repulsion on her face. “If you’re trying to hide from the Viscount again, you know he’ll just come down here and create a disturbance.”

Barris sighed heavily, trodding over to look at where Motiti slept on his coat in the corner by a heat vent. 

“Tell anyone who comes for me that I’ve gone home to shower.”

“I’m blocking out six hours so you sleep,” she said sternly, looking at him over her spectacles. “Use them wisely. And tonight, sleep like a  _ normal  _ person, eh?”

Barris started at the sharp slamming of the door. Motiti blinked her eyes open and smiled sleepily up at him. 

“Motiti will be awake and ready for the day in a moment, Mr. Minister,” she said through a long yawn. 

“I suppose that makes one of us,” Barris replied, trying to cover his own yawn and failing. “Come on, Motiti. I’ll bring you home.”

\--

  
**_A/N_ ** _ : You know I had to do it to ‘em. _


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N** : Just as a general heads up, I’m in an after hours/weekends program for my computer programming studies and uh...it cuts into my writing time. We're gonna get through this together, though. Be strong, my friends.

\--

“You look tired.”

Items clattered on a tea cart and wood crackled in the hearth, the only other sounds bouncing off of the aging stone of the Grand Duke’s study. Orange fire light reflected in his blue eyes, but there was no warmth.

They gazed at each other over an ornate wooden table, the unacknowledged tension making it more difficult than usual for Barris to retain a professional exterior.

“I’ve been busy,” Barris finally said stiffly, pulling several documents from a leather briefcase in his lap.

An unfamiliar maid placed tea in front of them, Barris looking from her to the Grand Duke. He was studying Barris’ face intently, smirking beneath his white mustache.

“I’ve heard rumors that you’ve adopted a large portion of my expelled house staff.” He lifted his tea up so steam wafted into his face as he sipped. “I’d say you were being frivolous with your funds, but your estate was already so understaffed to begin with that now you may just have the adequate amount you’ve always needed.”

“I’ve taken personal responsibility for the optimization of the Sakan household staffing since I was a child, Grand Duke Bavlenka,” Barris remarked, eyes downcast so he could see his reflection in his own untouched tea. “We simply have more need than usual, and your employees have always been upstanding. You’ll forgive me if I seized an opportunity to procure the best that Finsel has to offer.”

“Ever the businessman,” The Duke cackled, setting his cup down. “Unfortunately for you, any trash I’ve disposed of has been quickly replaced by fresh, more _enthusiastic_ help.” He leaned over and rubbed the arm of the new maid, her face displaying discomfort only long enough for Barris to catch it before she composed herself. “I will _always_ have the best Finsel has to offer. Everything else is scraps.”

Barris’ face remained unchanged save for his eyes, hardened hunter green flashing with the distant lightning outside the window.

“I hope I don’t sound impertinent in saying I was surprised when you asked me to bring the papers for you to sign of your own accord,” he confessed carefully, sliding the documents to the Duke and producing a pen from his breast pocket. “As I understood, you were against the union to begin with. I thought I might have to draft a new contract altogether, but I’m glad you and Lord Lou were able to come to an agreement.”

The Duke’s smirk widened. “She didn’t have much of a hand in changing my mind. My beloved youngest daughter loves her sister, so...she threatened to disown our name if I didn’t come to terms with Lou.”

Barris blinked and narrowed his eyes. “Lady Nyx?”

The Duke nodded and folded his hands neatly in his lap. “We came to an agreement that eased my soul and made it easier for me to forgive my eldest daughter for her impudence.”

There was a strange, implicative silence that came after his statement; Barris attributed it to the storm brewing and said with sincerity, “I’m glad that you could come to an understanding, then.”

“Mm.” The Duke studied the contract for a moment, twirling the pen in his fingers. He looked up at Barris with hooded eyes.

“In your haste to prepare to officiate my daughter’s wedding, it seems you’ve been neglectful in your... _personal_ _relationships_. I heard about how you didn’t show for tea at the Ellenstein estate the other day.”

“How _kind_ of you to show concern for my social well being, Sir,” Barris said with an immense amount of control. “I don’t take this situation lightly, and, in the first place, Lady Ellenstein and I are only acquaintances.”

The Duke exploded into a fit of laughter. “Dear boy, it would seem you’ve had to set the record straight for several other people before me! Is it so far fetched to believe Eliza could expect a suitor even at her age?”

Barris’ ears burned, but he maintained his composure. “As I’ve explained, Grand Duke Bavlenka, I have many things to accomplish and not a lot of time granted to me to accomplish them. If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to cut this meeting short so I can get back before the rain picks up.”

“Of course, _Minister_ ,” the Duke said with unabashed mirth. He signed the contract and handed it back to Barris, staring at him as he packed his briefcase against the soft thunder beginning to roll outside. The maid hid a yawn behind her hand.

“I hope you don’t mind me prying too much,” the Duke said as Barris stood quickly and moved to leave the room. “There’s an interesting proposition I’d like to discuss with you at a later date, and I needed to gauge the relationship between you and the latest little lark infatuated with your brooding disposition.”

Barris stopped dead in his tracks, looking over his shoulder at the Duke with hardened eyes. “I’d oblige your hope, _Sir_ , but I’m beginning to wonder at why my connection to the young lady has captured your special attention.”

The Duke hesitated, attuned to ‘Sir’ being pronounced minaciously. He narrowed his eyes and continued on, regardless.

“Speaking frankly, Nyx promised me she would marry if I did this for Lou,” he said smoothly, relishing the unsure look replacing Barris’ defiant stare. “Perhaps if you were to relinquish your stance on that new employment sanction you just introduced, I could bypass the customary engagement steps and just have you pivot into place after Lou says her vows? We could save on costs, and you could finally be a married man without the burden of speculation.” He paused and waved his hand lazily. “You understand my desire for efficiency. Myy daughter enjoys the oddities of literature in addition to being more fair than the whole smattering of women in the social circle combined. I think you could come to like her.”

Barris’ face was stony and gray, a bead of sweat trailing from his sideburns to his chin. He opened his mouth a bit as if he might say something, then turned away quickly.

“Your offer is one that requires delicate consideration from both ends. Perhaps we can discuss it further after the week is over.”

“I do appreciate you taking the offer seriously,” the Duke said, beady eyes burning a hole in Barris’ back. “After all, though it is a charming sentiment that every noble in Finsel might marry a slum scrummer, no one born at the bottom will ever understand the lives of those who thrive at the top.”

Barris wondered how he had managed all these years to maintain his dignity in front of him, taking his leave before he could dwell on it for too long. The Duke's voice resonated behind him, even as he exited the room and started down the stairs: “We may have a double wedding yet, eh, _Minister_?”

The trek to his carriage was long, but he hardly remembered any of it. It was a red, angry blur until he was sitting inside, far from the Bavlenka property. He stared despondently out the window, choosing rain drops that collected together to follow with his eyes.

The Duke’s distinct laughter followed him like a shadow all the way into the lobby of the Sakan estate. Motiti came over to assist him with his hat and gloves, her shrill voice an echo at the back of his mind. His daze was finally broken by Juven’s firm grip on his shoulder.

“Uncle,” he said carefully. “Your visit with Duke Bavlenka...did everything go well?”

Barris looked at his nephew, then at the floor. “Everything...went well. Lord Lou will be able to get married without worrying about difficulty of an eventual inheritance transfer. What I feared would be the worst part of the process ended up being one of the easier components.”

“You look as though you’ve got every problem with the country packed in those sacks under your eyes,” Juven remarked with blunt concern. “I won’t keep bothering you about the Founding Ball, so stay here and turn in early for the evening if you aren’t going to attend the Senatorial dinner party.”

“As if I’d allow you to go alone,” Barris said dryly, moving away from his hand. “I still need to speak to a couple of the gentlemen we had to remove from the room last week when-”

He froze in place, his ears turning pink.

Juven raised his eyebrows in confusion. “Uncle?”

“Ah...nothing. I’m going to go freshen up before getting ready for tonight...”

Juven rolled his eyes at him and sighed heavily. “Uncle, I _know_ you. I _know_ you’re a modest gentleman. I _know_ you’ve already gone to the Maid Lodge specifically to make sure you’ve refused invitations to any balls Malda might be working so as not to make her uncomfortable.” Juven shrugged as Barris looked away guiltily. “I spoke with her last evening and she appreciates your concern. You don’t have to avoid her.”

Barris’ face paled. “You spoke with her?”

“Yes, _dear uncle Barris_ ,” Juven said sarcastically, folding his arms. “She seemed to be in decent spirits aside from mentioning she was recently stood up by some idiot she was looking forward to seeing...why she felt the need to mention that to me, I don’t know…” He put a finger to his lips and smiled slyly. “Perhaps she was trying to make me jealous~”

Barris felt all the blood in his body slowly hardening into stone, imagining himself as a crumbling pillar eroded by time and circumstance. Wistfully, as if he didn’t have the energy to say anything else, he muttered, “Right. That must be it.”

\--

Magda sat up from her bed spread and rubbed her eyes. After receiving so many invitations related to Lord Lou’s nuptials, her mother had cleared her afternoon schedule of potential suitors so she could rest between morning appointments and balls. It may not have been wise to push it and work the evening before, but she was grateful for the opportunity to nap.

She moved her arm and one of half a dozen forgotten books lying beside her fell to the floor. It hadn’t been much of a study session before she’d fallen asleep. Duke Olineaux had come unannounced for “tea” (intel trading), and given her some distracting things to think about. Her hand moved to pick ‘ _Finsel’s Founding and Political Reform_ ’ from up off the floor, wincing as she came to terms with her inability to enjoy it.

 _I might just need a different approach,_ she thought with doubtful optimism.

Her mind wandered, as it was prone to do lately, to an imaginary scenario where she lounged on a couch with a roaring fire nearby and listened to Mr. Barris paraphrase the important information in such a book. It made her feel ridiculous, but in just a few short days, her mind had become consumed by... _things_ of this nature.

She blushed and shook her head, as if to physically expel them. It was plain by now that her feelings had surpassed those of an indifferent acquaintance. Rather than mope around the house all day wondering if he might reciprocate, she had opted to try to expand her mind and capture his attention in a less dramatic fashion than fainting in his office.

_“Growing up, Mr. Barris had many suitors. All were bright, capable ladies with varying levels of wit and charm. As standoffish as he tends to be, I think everyone in the social circle had hoped he would settle down with one of them eventually...if only to see if he might become more easygoing,” Duke Olineaux joked, studying Magda from behind his tea cup. “Not that any of this piques your interest if you are only acquaintances, as you claim. It is intriguing to think on, though. To wonder what makes a man so dedicated to remaining alone…”_

_I think I know why…at least a little..._ Magda thought, melancholy eyes studying the fading script of her books...

_“I know exactly why he’d be interested in that nouveau riche piece of trash,” Lynna had drunkenly complained to her companions, Magda standing beside her in disguise. “No true noble would support most of the heinous things he discusses with the assembly. She’d do just about anything to get a Senate seat. Cozying up to the most boring Sakan of the bunch might be a slick move on her part, but I’m not going to give her the benefit of the- UGH! WATCH WHAT YOU’RE DOING YOU UNCOORDINATED SKANK!”_

Magda side-eyed her own reflection in the vanity mirror guiltily, remembering how she’d gotten so annoyed that she had “accidentally” dropped her tray on Lynna’s dress. Lynna had replied in kind by sloshing a full glass of wine in Malda’s face.

 _I wish that were the first time I had heard someone speaking about you in this way, Mr. Barris, but I suspect you’ve grown numb to such aspersion…_ she thought, stroking the book’s cover. _As for potential marriage prospects...you may just figure no lady would be able to handle the constant onslaught of criticism you already endure. Your life is easier to control without an unfamiliar variable like a wife...but isn’t that very lonely?_

_“You’re having a rough week of it, aren’t you Malda~?” Juven had asked, waltzing into the back room beside the kitchen where she was trying to wipe wine off of herself. “Don’t mind Lady Lynna. You’re not the first person in Finsel to have the bad luck of being within range of her vitriol.” He leaned on the wall next to the copper wash sink and grinned at her. “I couldn’t help noticing...it didn’t seem like you much appreciated what she was saying about my uncle.”_

_“I admire your uncle very much, Viscount. You and your family have done a lot for me...it is difficult to listen while people say whatever they please,” she had said, dabbing her neck with a wash rag and frowning. “I was out of line in derailing the conversation the way I did. If you ask me to, I’ll go out and apologize, but I feel no remorse.”_

_His grin widened. “I simply came to see how you were faring. I’ve no clue what you mean about your method of halting the conversation~”_

_Magda had smiled at his back as he walked away, then paused in surprise when he looked over his shoulder and said, “You needn’t worry so much for my uncle; recently I think he’s come to appreciate someone particular in the romantic sense, and whether he wants to acknowledge it or not, it’s apparent that thoughts of her are what constantly occupy his mind.”_

Magda blushed, staring at the floor.

_It’s completely possible the Viscount knows it’s me and that he’s just trying to mess with me...he’s always been very good at picking up on my intentions...or maybe I’m just a bad liar...even if he isn’t, mentioning Mr. Barris’ interest in a woman…_

She smoothed both hands over her face in exasperation and glared out the window as the rain and shadows engulfed Finsel.

_...It’s more likely that bastard knows it’s me and knows I would spend all of my time dwelling too hard on this like a damn fool..._

“To hell with it, then,” she muttered to herself, standing up from the bed. “Whether or not Mr. Barris fancies me, marriage is just a longer, more involved dance...I’m resigned to standing around looking pretty until he does something about it anyway.”

_I know tonight’s my only free night before the rest of the week is filled with wedding relevant appointments, but if I stay in this house, I’ll lose my mind…_

\--

“I put on my confrontation boots for this evening, but I sort of feel bad for the poor bastard...he looks pathetic,” Gonzalo muttered, raising a glass of champagne to his lips as he and Balfey watched Barris Sakan drift through throngs of people.

Balfey shook his head. “I’ve heard he hasn’t slept at the Sakan estate since he proposed the employment sanction. I’m not a fan of it myself, but I can respect how diligent he is in trying to iron out the details. I hardly put that much effort into FUN things, let alone work.”

 

\--

 _Crash_.

“When I told you to wear black, I figured you would at least put an effort into wearing something stylish so if you bungled in some other way you’d be able to save some face,” Juven mused disappointedly, both he and his uncle staring at the shattered glass Barris had dropped on the floor.

Barris cleared his throat and glared at him. “My jacket contains enough black; it hardly matters if I look trendy. Especially if I already look as exhausted as I feel...”

“The fact remains,” Juven said bluntly, glancing at him, “you’re currently not very popular. Even among the people who usually earnestly give you the benefit of the doubt.” He leaned in and said more softly, “I know you don’t consider my methods valid, but they give me _much_ better control of how your adulation fluctuates than yours.” He raised his eyebrows and nodded subtly in the direction of a group of men behind them who were staring at them unscrupulously. “ _Consider_ what I have to listen to at all the events you usually decline to attend.”

“ _You poor bastard_ ,” Barris grunted sarcastically, ignoring their critics and turning to apologize to the wait staff cleaning up his shattered glass.

\--

“...I mean, working in the Bavlenka estate is sort of creepy, and eventually I won’t be able to pick up shifts like this, but the Senatorial balls always seem to have the best tips, right?”

Magda walked with Tiffany as Malda through the bustling kitchen, straightening her outfit before they went out to take orders. She motioned for Tiffany to pause beside a pantry shelf to let her pin some hair that had escaped her bun and said, “I’m just glad I could pick up a shift. With Lord Lou’s wedding approaching, everyone wants to be on staff for those events so they can pick up all the hot gossip they can.”

“Speaking of hot gossip,” Tiffany said mischievously, giving Malda a wink. “You’ll NEVER guess what I heard while Mr. Barris was discussing Lord Lou’s contract with the Grand Duke this morning...”

\--

“How rare to see two Sakan men in a room at the same time~” Several women encircled Juven and Barris, flitting their lashes from behind their fans and flouncing the handkerchiefs in their bosoms. “Mr. Barris, have you written a piece for when you officiate Lord Lou’s wedding? We would all _love_ to hear an excerpt as a bit of a preview of what we have to look forward to~”

“Yes, _Mr. Barris_ , tease us all with some of your _prose_ ~” Juven jeered in a higher pitch next to his uncle’s ear, soaking in the look of death he received in response. The circle laughed at their banter, several more onlookers coming over out of curiosity.

Barris acknowledged the subtle nuance of his nephew’s efforts to counter his acerbic reputation, but only begrudgingly. “Unfortunately, I haven’t had time to delve into that quite yet,” he admitted tiredly, pushing Juven’s face away. A replacement glass of whiskey found its way into his hand as a maid walked by. “You’ll all just have to attend the event itself and give your support to the brides.”

“Just _one_ little line~?” they pleaded in sulking voices, Juven smirking knowingly behind a glass of bourbon. Barris shook his head and grimaced, the headache medicine he had taken before wearing off and giving way to the true level of irritation his brain felt.

“Ladies, you’ve all seen a wedding,” he entreated them, begging the Goddess to make every sound in the room disappear. “It’s inherently exultant. I won’t divert much from a traditional script...”

“The ladies want to hear you speak exultantly, _Mr. Barris_ ,” Juven encouraged mockingly, earning his uncle's most prolonged and exasperated look yet.

Barris rolled his eyes, brain throbbing in protest. He sighed and gestured out with his drink in front of him, prepared to make a show of it so he might be able to leave for some peace in the courtyard afterwards. “ _Dearly-_ ”

_Crash._

A cart carrying depleted trays of hors d'oeuvres near the swinging kitchen door collided with a maid as she came through, her companion apologizing and escorting her aside to adjust her outfit behind a large potted plant.

Through the amber tint of his glass, Barris saw her slim, distorted outline. Her knee length, fitted dress cut stylishly in sync with the ball’s theme. Sheer, black pleats fell in a cape down her back, and from where the fabric at her legs ended to her ankles. Her grey eyes glanced around the room, brushing over the crowd, until they fell on him…

_Crash._

“ _-beloved_ …” he choked under his breath, blood flooding the vessels in his neck.

Juven glanced at where he was looking, then down at the second dropped glass, eyes hooded and judgmental. “It would appear that Malda picked up a shift this evening, uncle.”

“...It would seem so.”

“...Perhaps you’ve had a bit too much to drink,” Juven tried to say jokingly to fill the silence, smacking Barris a bit too hard between the shoulder blades. “You apparently can’t hold your liquor.”

“It would seem so,” Barris repeated absentmindedly, watching Malda move from the corner.

Her eyes lingered on him, faintly glimmering as she turned away.

\--

Magda tried to remain calm. She shook her head vigorously, embarrassed tears welling in her eyes.

Of _course_ he would be here. Of _COURSE_ he would! It wasn’t strange that he _would_ be here! It was a _SENATORIAL_ ball. Had she not _read_ the board? Had she expected him to do as _she_ had the last few days, lying in bed and staring at the ceiling until all hours of the night? Losing sleep over a strange encounter in a garden and a torn corset?

She patted her cheeks, trying to avoid ruining her makeup, but desperately needing some way to snap out of this overwhelming feeling of distress.

Every time she thought she might recover, her mind dragged her into a vision of a future scenario where she watched Nyx walk down a flowered aisle, clothed in the finest gown imaginable, into Mr. Barris’ waiting arms.

She stumbled into a quiet hallway off the main ballroom, water spilling out of her eyes as she cuffed one hand over her trembling lips.

_“Arranged marriage removes the emotional element for nobility,” Eliza had told her the night after Mr. Barris had failed to show for tea. The conversation had come up unprompted during dinner, probably after Eliza had noticed Magda wasn’t eating. “Most relationships grow into a mutual respect, and even sometimes love. But for a lady to fall for a man...there are more worthwhile ways to invite agony into your life, my dear.”_

Magda hadn’t really been listening then, but she understood now.

 _“The things about a man that make your heart pound uncontrollably are eventually what make it stop altogether”...right...I get it now, Mom,_ she thought miserably, dabbing her face with her own handkerchief. _How could I leave myself so vulnerable after everything mom has tried to teach me…_

“Break time already, Malda?” Lynna’s voice sang with fake concern, her black gown dripping with emeralds rippling as she walked. “You have some nerve taking on an event at the Jorcastle estate after our last encounter. I have half a mind to blacklist you.”

“That process takes longer now because of Mr. Barris’ new sanctions on servile employment,” Lawrence reminded her, leaning on a pillar a few yards away. “Lazy maids can rest assured that the nobility will think twice before risking a fine for ‘unreasonable’ termination.”

“I’ll ask that you not speak ill of Mr. Barris. He does more for the working poor on his own than the whole of Finsel’s nobility combined,” Magda said with much more resolve than she had intended to. Both Lynna and Lawrence were stunned into momentary silence as Magda walked proudly past them to start her work.

“If you’re such a fan, _wench_ , we can see to it that you have a personal audience with him this evening,” Lynna hissed, grabbing Magda by the arm and wrenching her out into the main ballroom.

Magda thought about fighting her off, but she felt completely, utterly numb. Lynna may as well have been miles ahead of her. Despite knowing most of the people present, none of them knew who she, Malda, was.

Except him. And he cared so little that...well...it didn’t matter now.

\--

“Mr. Barris, you were about to recite a bit of your wedding address to us?”

Barris came out of his daze and glanced at the women encircling him.

“Ah...yes…”

“Do you write much beyond what you do for work, Mr. Barris?”

The group’s eyes all converged on the owner of the voice that had asked the question, Nyx Bavlenka stepping into their circle. Several ladies whispered to each other, some leaving with envious looks on their faces.

Barris stared into Nyx’ curious blue eyes, the entirety of his earlier conversation with the Grand Duke leaving a mental rug burn on his already suffering brain.

“I...usually refrain from using my time for such self indulgent projects, my Lady,” he said with some difficulty, his eyes looking for an alternative to rest on so he didn’t have to confront those memories.

Nyx smiled. “My father says you appreciate literature, though. Surely you've thought of writing your own story?”

“Pardon my interruption, ladies and gentlemen,” Lynna crooned, dragging Malda into the circle as noble ladies moved to avoid having their skirts stepped on. “I’ve a special delivery for Mr. Barris. This maid is particularly fond of your work apparently, Sir. So, here. Your own personal maid to clean up your shattered glass ware for the evening.”

Magda wasn’t prepared for the sensation of being shoved in any direction, let alone a direction that ended with the ballroom floor. She found herself feeling a sharp pain in her hand, lifting it slowly up to find small shards of glass stippling her flesh.

There was a shocked moment of silence, several patrons torn between wanting to keep the favor of a daughter of the Jorcastle family, and wanting to complain about witnessing something so outright and brutal.

Barris had no such qualms.

“ _Lady Lynna_ ,” he seethed, immediately leaning down to help Magda up. “Apologize _immediately_ . I’ll _not_ have such a blatant show of _inhumanity_ happen before me without some measure of recompense!”

Lynna sniffed and waved him off. “She won’t be fired for slacking on the job, so that should be enough. Crying alone in a darkened hallway...if her life is so pitiful she should just stay home.”

Barris glanced with concern at Magda, who was actively staring at the floor. Her face burned with humiliation despite her indifference towards Lynna.

“Lady Lynna, your behavior is particularly abhorrent this evening,” Juven said dangerously, green eyes flashing underneath his curtain of blonde hair. “I’ll need you to do as my uncle says.”

“I agree with them, Lynna,” Nyx said, hands on her hips. “There’s no need to shove people like that.”

“Ah, so it is her! The maid who disturbed our business meeting last week,” a nobleman sneered as he poked his head into the conversation. “It doesn’t surprise me that Lady Lynna caught this one slacking on the job. She came in sick to work at the Sakan estate and collapsed from illness in Mr. Barris’ arms.”

“And here you are again, hm~? In the arms of the object of your affections~ It’s really adorable~” Lynna cooed acidicly, glaring down at Magda. “Do you have a thing for boring, wealthy men? You and that nouveau riche trash receptacle both...lucky for you, she’s not a real noble, so you’re in an even better position to fight for his attention than she is.”

Several nobles in the vicinity struggled to stifle their laughter, whether at the expense of Malda or Magda. Either way, she was unable to hide her embarrassment as every piece of her visible skin turned pink. Barris ignored them and turned her hand over in his to inspect the damage.

“You should be alright. I’ll escort you to-”

“No,” she said stiffly, ripping her hand away from him. He blinked in surprise, then his eyes softened.

“Lynna, what the hell is going on over here?” Gonzalo bellowed, whisking himself onto the scene. He paused, eyeing Barris’ close inspection of a maid’s hand at the center of attention. “Is she injured?”

“Green Fiend, if you wouldn’t mind showing us to the sick room so your doctor can bandage the young lady’s hand, we’d be most appreciative,” Juven said, gesturing at Magda.

“I’m fine,” Magda said, pulling away from Barris entirely and taking a few steps in an attempt to leave the circle.

“Clean up the glass or you can leave for the evening,” Lynna told her, pointing at the glass like she might have forgotten where it was.

“Lynna, you’re making a scene, and not the kind I want to deal with,” Gonzalo argued, rubbing his forehead.

Barris came up behind Magda as she attempted to squeeze past guests, saying quietly, “Let me at least help you to-”

“I don’t _need_ your help,” she said more loudly than she meant to, whirling around so he nearly ran into her. She grasped at the courage to look him in the eye, then felt the tears flowing as soon as she did. “I don’t _need_ your _protection_.”

_I want it._

The way his eyes shifted from shock, to guilt, to hurt so effortlessly...it made her want to crumple to her knees and weep.

He said nothing, so she offered him a small smile, finishing with, “We both have our roles to fill.”

His eyes widened, watching her quickly walk off. He considered the words she'd said, then decided to follow her anyway.

“What happened?” he yelled as he came after her through the crowd. “Why did she find you crying before?”

“It doesn’t concern you.” Magda kept her head down, trying not to make eye contact with anyone now that he was making such a spectacle of them.

“I beg to differ,” he said, following her in through the swinging kitchen door, both of them dodging wait staff and cooks and strange looks.

“Return to the ball, Mr. Barris. Please.”

“ _No_.”

Without another word, he scooped her up under her back and knees, carrying her out the side door behind the kitchen and into a small courtyard.

“ _Mr. Barris, put me down,_ ” she said desperately.

“Your hand is bleeding all over the place, including on me,” he reminded her, narrowing his eyes as they stood outside the door. “If you refuse to speak to me, you will at least disinfect your wound before leaving.”

She looked up at him with red, puffy eyes that weren't her own, and let her head fall to his shoulder as a fresh wave of tears came. His eyes softened and he paused to study her face.

“You didn’t come,” she whispered almost inaudibly, hating how much she realized it really bothered her. “You didn’t reschedule, send a letter...nothing…”

His eyes were pained, but he didn't look away from her. “...And what would you have me do at the end of that rosy, romantic tunnel, love, should we venture down it?” he asked, voice steady but somber. “Tell you I'll be on time for supper every morning so you can go to bed broken hearted every night? Tell you I'll never make a judgment that rubs someone so wrong, they try to sabotage you socially? That they won’t send someone to _stab_ you on your way to the dress shop? That they won’t assassinate our _children_?”

He squeezed his eyes shut and bowed his head, fingers digging into her shoulder and knee. Magda blinked at him, stunned into silence.

Gently, she moved a hand to caress his face. He leaned into her touch and looked at her solemnly.

“I was also looking forward to tea that day,” he said with a half smile. “By then I think you had already weakened my resolve.”

“Are you...are you to marry Nyx?” she asked sadly.

He shook his head. “I was caught off guard by Duke Bavlenka this morning. Ultimately I would have declined his invitation.” He thought for a moment, then glanced at her with teasing suspicion. “Is that why you were upset before?”

She looked away, blushing. He laughed a bit and cleared his throat.

“I'm going to put you down. We should make haste to bandage your hand.”

“I don’t want to go back inside,” she confessed miserably, pushing her head to his chest. He patted her enchanted hair and sighed.

“I could bring you back to the Sakan estate and then bring you home.” His voice became a note darker as he said, “I, too, would like to avoid Lady Lynna for the remainder of the evening.”

She didn’t respond, but silently they both agreed that might be the best course of action. He stared out at the shadows between the trees, face growing redder and redder as he dwelled on their words to each other.

“You've already seen what I endure on my own,” she said softly into his chest. “So please don’t look at me as some naive woman perceiving a life with you as a perfect fantasy.”

He looked down at her. “It would be a difficult path to follow, being the Minister’s wife.”

“In the first place I don’t wish to be some token wife you have to leave at home,” she responded. “I want to make a difference. I want to make Finsel a place where everyone can live peacefully. And I love that that’s what you want as well.”

He gazed down at her and moved slowly, pausing near her lips before heeding the magnetism and kissing her mouth. She held his head in place with both hands, lacing her fingers in his hair.

\--

Juven leaned on the other side of the door, arms folded as he smiled contentedly to himself.

_Now maybe you’ll be less of a grouchy codger if you allow yourself some happiness, eh, uncle?_

Gonzalo leaned over to him from the other side of the door frame, face visibly perplexed. “What in the hell is _happening_ right now?”

“Please stop talking. I would’ve rathered you weren’t here for this part in the first place. Let me have my victory.”

“You set your uncle up with a bloody _maid_?”

“ _Let me have this_.”

Gonzalo eyed him suspiciously. “I bet you didn’t really do anything but put in a conscious effort to be less annoying.”

“You will die alone.”

\--

“Mr. Barris, what is the _meaning_ of this?” Eliza hissed, holding a candle out to illuminate the pervading night as she stood on the porch of the Ellenstein estate. She watched him carry her daughter up the walkway, wearing what appeared to be a maid costume.

Barris cleared his throat and put Magda down at the steps. “Ah...good evening, Lady Eliza...perhaps I should start from the beginning…”

“Perhaps not,” Magda said flatly.

\--

 **A/N** : Juven’s work here is done. Next chapter should be the last chapter, and then there will probably be an epilogue chapter and we’ll be done. Thanks for reading!


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